


Remnants

by DustyOldQrow



Category: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, RWBY
Genre: Gen, Gore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-14
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2018-12-29 18:32:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 19
Words: 56,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12090915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DustyOldQrow/pseuds/DustyOldQrow
Summary: Scattered, but not alone.Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long have seemingly been killed in a confrontation with their most bitter adversaries. However, they were not as dead as their enemies thought. Instead of dying, team RWBY has been scattered across a new world, one full of creatures thought to be legend.This world is Equestria.Stranded in an alien world, these Huntresses in training must rely on the hospitality of the locals if they wish to make it home.This story is split into six arcs. Currently on Arc Three: From Shadows





	1. Prologue

Remnant.

A world of Huntsmen and Huntresses, people who have sworn their lives to protecting the civilians of the four kingdoms. Each and every Hunter goes through vigorous training and grueling exercise to train their bodies to take massive amounts of punishment, and deal just as much.

After all, the world of Remnant is a dangerous place.

Outside the borders of the kingdoms are lands that lie almost completely abandoned. Nearly uninhabitable, very few people dare to live in the lands of the Creatures of Grimm. Those who do are naturally gifted in the ways of combat. Those who don't live their lives inside the relative safety of the kingdoms' borders. In the kingdom of Vale was one of the world's most prestigious combat schools: Beacon Academy.

Beacon was where boys become men. Students shaped into warriors. People into Huntsmen. Teams of four were partnered up for four years, learning to work together in the hopes of becoming the next defenders of the world.

One such team was team RWBY, consisting of their leader Ruby Rose and her teammates Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long, the last one also happened to be Ruby's older sister. The four made an uneasy friendship, but soon evolved into Beacon's most promising students.

Which made their fall all the more bitter.

In preparation of the Vytal Festival, a celebration of the peace between the four kingdoms, Beacon was host to students from other Academies from the other kingdoms, and a dance was to be held. This dance, meant to be a celebration of friendship and happiness, turned dark as one student departed from the festivities.

Ruby Rose just so happened to be this student. And she witnessed something she shouldn't have. For on that night, a dangerous woman's plans were coming together. Ruby saw Cinder Fall, disguised, sneaking into the Transmit Tower, a database for the knowledge held by the four kingdoms.

The leader called for her team. The four girls of RWBY arrived on the scene, prepared for battle. They confronted Cinder Fall in the Tower, only for the criminal to escape with the students on her heels. The chase led to an abandoned street a small distance away from Beacon.

It is here, where RWBY made their final stand.

The battle's events would never truly be known. As Cinder Fall walked away victorious, she left behind the corpses of team RWBY, each of the girls brutally slain in their last fight.

But death isn't necessarily the end.

And Remnant isn't the only world.

In another world far away from the one of Team RWBY, it was nighttime. In this realm, the night had once held a sinister secret- that an evil tyrant Queen was held imprisoned in the moon and would return one day. In this world, there were no Huntsmen and Huntresses. There was no Aura, no Semblances. So when that Queen returned, who would be there to protect this world’s inhabitants?

On that day, six ordinary residents of the world stepped up, wielding an ancient power long forgotten. These protectors became friends forged in fire, their battle with the Queen reuniting two estranged sisters and forging new bonds between the six.

Ever since that night, nighttime had been a sign of rest, and peace. While the day brought work, the night brought sleep. But the night is not devoid of it's secrets, oh no. Many things lurk in the shadows. While citizens sleep, monsters of the Everfree roam. Not unlike the Creatures of Grimm in Remnant. These creatures rarely ever enter the land of the ponies, but inside their forest they are a dangerous foe. But a skilled fighter can easily take down a single Timberwolf, and sometimes a even a Manticore. But most of the time, that is not necessary. Magic protects the ponies, holding the monsters of the Everfree away.

Though, even if magic keeps the inhabitants of Equestria safe, it can also cause problems.

That night, shooting stars were seen falling from Equestria’s sky.

* * *

A farmer spends the majority of their time outside, working out on the fields or tending to animals. Tedious work, yes, but at the same time fulfilling. After countless hours of love and care, the newest batch of crops would come in nice and healthy while baby animals would be welcomed into the world, all with the help of a farmer.

The farmer's life was certainly not for everypony, but that never stopped the Apple Family. Mother, daughter, father and son; nearly every Apple became a farmer. The Apples were no slouch, either. Nearly every crop was perfect. Each animal in peak condition.

And no other Apple Family branch represented this like the Ponyville branch, their home and farm named Sweet Apple Acres being the pride and joy of the bustling town in the center of Equestria.

Applejack Apple entered the small house late at night, her eyes heavy and her legs aching. She reeked of sweat, and it was obvious that she had been given the toughest chores of the day. But the sun had finally set a few hours ago, and the last of the work had been finished; bringing a productive day of Apple farming to a close.

The orange mare wiped some sweat off of her forehead and sighed, kicking the door closed with a hind-leg as she looked around the house. It was a simple abode: just big enough to support herself, her brother Big Macintosh, their little sister Apple Bloom and their grandmother, Granny Smith. Everypony else in the household had long since finished their own chores, leaving Applejack to finish hers while they either went back home or hung out around town. And since it was not too late in the night, Applejack could check to see if any of her friends were still awake, but she decided against that.

Besides, going to sleep sounded very good at the moment.

If she had stayed outside for just a minute more, she would have seen a bright star in the sky split into four rays of light and fall down to the surface of Equus. But the orange mare didn't, and missed the spectacular event.

Sighing to herself, Applejack lifted a hoof to remove her beloved Stetson hat from her head and placed it on the stand by the door. She stared at the hat and whispered, "Goodnight, Pa..." as she turned away and walked towards the stairs. It had been a long day. She deserved some rest.

But only seconds after climbing the stairs,  _something_  exploded outside. A loud  **boom**  roared, shaking the house to its very core. Applejack let out a startled yelp and grasped onto the handrails of the stairs to steady herself as the shaking continued. She looked around the rumbling house, noticing a picture frame about to fall off of its shelf.

The picture of her parents shook and rattled, the rumbling house bringing it ever so closer to the edge. The frame reached the end of the shelf, slowly tipping... But then the quake died down, returning everything to normal. Applejack let out a loud sigh of relief, slowly letting go of the guard rail as she steadied her breathing.

"What in tarnation was that all about...?" She questioned, looking around as three other ponies peeked their heads out from their rooms with tired eyes. Applejack turned to her family, and with the most reassuring smile she could muster, spoke. "No need to worry, y'all. Ah'll go out and see what that was all about, okay?"

Three pairs of eyes looked at her worriedly. The large, red stallion named Big Mac stepped out of his room, his soft green eyes looking down at his little sister. He didn't talk much- never needed to, really, and this situation was no different. His eyes conveyed the entire message to Applejack, who simply smiled at her brother.

"Ah'll be fine, Mac. Ah'm sure it was nothin'. Now go on, back to bed with y'all." She grinned to her family as she turned and began walking down the stairs. "You especially, Apple Bloom!" She called to her little sister. "Y'all got school tomorrow!"

She tried not to laugh as she heard the filly groan.

Stepping outside of the house, her eyes once again had to adjust to the nighttime light- or what little of it there was. Apparently the local pegasi had scheduled some slight rain for late at night, and the clouds were already in place. The air was slightly chilly, nipping at the skin under her orange coat, but Applejack paid it no heed as she looked around the area, looking for signs of whatever caused that shaking.

Years of working this farm gave her an almost photographic memory of its layout. Every tree and plant was firmly mapped in her mind, leaving no possible way for her to ever get lost in the fields. So when her eyes spotted a downed apple tree, Applejack saw it almost immediately. Slightly miffed that one of her trees would need replanting in the morning, she started in that direction.

It wasn't long before the slight amount of light reflecting from the moon illuminated a small crater, light spirals of smoke rising into the air. Her face paled, and her body stiffened. What in the name of Celestia could have happened here? Shaking her head to steel herself, Applejack ran towards the crater.

And inside, lay a creature she had never seen before.

It vaguely resembled some sort of monkey, only without any fur except for the long locks of golden hair on its head. It also wore some clothes, shielding its body from the elements while also not leaving much to the imagination, what with the low-cut shirt and short shorts. But she- and it definitely was a she, considering her chest- wore a brown, short jacket and had two golden bracelets around her wrists.

"Whoa, nelly..." Applejack muttered. "Ah think... Ah think that gal needs some help!" Narrowing her eyes, the bearer of the Element of Honesty jumped into the small crater, rushing to the unconscious female and hoisted her onto her back. "Now jus' hold on, not so little fella... Ah've got ya." The farmer muttered, the creature much heavier than she anticipated.

Applejack made her way out of the crater and started towards home yet again.

* * *

_**Arc One: I Burn** _  


_**Begin** _


	2. Arc One: I Burn, Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yang awakens.

_**Arc One: I Burn** _  
_**Part One** _

* * *

Dying was certainly a strange experience. One moment, there she sat, being kicked around like a toddler’s plaything, and the next there was nothing. Oh, there was something  _in between_ those moments, like the feeling of her throat being run through and her own blood pouring out of the hole, but that didn’t last long before she died.

Her head throbbed and her throat felt dry- strange considering that she  _shouldn’t_ have a throat, but there it was. She couldn’t open her eyes for some reason, but she didn't pay that much mind. She was more concerned over the fact that she couldn’t move. Her limbs were there- she could feel her fingers at the end of each hand, which in turn was connected to her arm. Did dying paralyze you? Was there anything here to even move in?

Yang didn’t consider herself a religious person. She never put much faith in the idea of an afterlife, though the suggestion was a welcome one. Ruby... What happened to her? Yang remembered catching up with Cinder and her gang, and then... Red.

During her mind-rant, she heard a  _creak_  as if somebody opened a wooden door. So she wasn’t dead after all. She heard two sets of feet step into the room and shut the door behind them. Apparently the floor was also made out of wood, because that also creaked as the people walked in.

“‘Scuze me, miss. Sorry if Ah woke ya.” Whoever spoke with that thick country accent must have seen Yang’s face twitch from the effort it took to try to move. “Well, ‘least yer awake now. Can ya talk?”

This woman was awfly kind, and her voice was comforting. It had a sort of big-sisterly tone to it, not unlike how Yang would speak to Ruby when the latter fell ill. To her surprise, Yang found that she could, indeed, open her mouth. But she couldn’t quite form any words- not with her tongue and throat feeling like sandpaper. The only sound that came out was a round of coughs.

“Oh my! Don’t you worry, Ah got ya a glass o’ water right here.” She heard the woman rush to Yang’s side- there was probably a stand of some kind next to her- and pick up a glass. It was at this moment Yang realized that she was laying in a bed, with a thin sheet covering her.

“Here, let me help y’all.”

The woman draped an arm around Yang’s shoulders and helped her sit up, not like Yang could do so on her own. But something felt... off. That arm was far too hairy for a normal person. In fact, if she concentrated, she Yang could almost feel something like a  _hoof_ on her back. Slightly disturbed, Yang tensed up as the glass reached her lips, but she immediately relaxed as the water poured from the cup and into her mouth, which she greedily swallowed.

“Whoa there! Don’t drink it too fast, now.” The woman with a hairy arm pulled the glass away and set it back down on the stand. “Now, can ya at least tell me yer name?”

She opened her mouth yet again, licking at her lips to wet them. “I-I...” She couldn’t get any farther than that before another round of coughs interrupted her. The woman brought the cup back to Yang’s lips, but she refused and tried to talk again.

“Y-Yang. Yang Xiao Long.” Just saying her own name made her throat feel like it was about to rip open, without the help of a blade this time.

“Well,” The country lady’s voice almost seemed to glow with happiness. “Nice to meet ya, Yang Xiao Long. Ah’m Applejack. Applejack Apple.”

Yang furrowed her brow. Wasn’t that the name of some alcohol? “That’s a strange name.” She noted in a raspy voice. Just talking sent pain down her throat. How long has she been out?

“Well, Ah could say the same to you, Yang Xiao Long. None of us pony folk have names like that. At least, not that Ah know of.”

“Wha-” Another coughing fit cut off Yang’s words, this round being more intense than the previous ones. Her throat burned as she desperately tried to keep a breath, but the coughing prevented that. She wanted to reach over to grab the cup of water, but her limbs refused to move.

“Don’t try ta move, Yang. Let me get it.” Yet again the glass was pressed against Yang’s lips as the water slowly poured into her mouth. ‘Applejack’ let Yang drink for a little longer this time before pulling the cup away. “Well, ya seem ta be doin’ much better now. Ah need to go do some apple buckin’, but my brother Big Macintosh’ll be ‘round to check on y’all.”

Another strange name. And apple related. Seems to be a running theme in this family, Yang mused. She heard ‘Applejack’ step away from the bed and walk towards the door, along with whoever entered with her, if the extra footsteps were any indication.

Her hands wiggled ever so slightly, nudging her bracelets against her sides. Yang grinned slightly- she could fight her way out of this place if she had to. Not that she planned on it, but better safe than sorry.

Just as she noticed that the throbbing in her head had gone away, consciousness left Yang, and she fell asleep yet again.

* * *

_The forest of Forever Fall seemed more red than usual. The red grass and red leaves on the trees were their usual shade, but now the sky itself seemed to be red as well. She didn't know why everything seemed so red._

_“Hello?” Yang called, her voice echoing through the empty forest. She looked around, hoping to see some signs of life, but saw nothing. With no other option, she walked forward._

_It wasn't very long before she spotted the person, even if she almost missed them. Their back was turned to her, dressed in a red cloak that covered her black dress. Yang didn't register their identity right away, but in the back of her mind she knew._

_She could recognize her sister anywhere._

_“Ruby...?” Yang’s lilac eyes stared at her sister’s back in disbelief. “But... You’re dead...” She could feel tears already nipping at the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them away._

_Then Ruby started walking away, her cloak flapping behind her as the wind suddenly started blowing. “Ruby!” Yang exclaimed, reaching out an arm to stop her sister, who was just outside her reach._

_Yang sprang forward, her legs carrying her as fast as they could. She had to catch Ruby- she’d lost her once, she wouldn't lose her again!_

_“Ruby!”_

_Yang extended the Ember Celica, the gold gauntlets surrounding her fists as they formed. Throwing her hands down, she fired both at the ground; the blasts propelling her forward._

_Ruby was still just out of her reach._

_The wind started howling, its speed picking up, slowing Yang down but not seeming to affect Ruby. “No!” The blonde cried as her little sister escaped into the white void._

_“Ruby! No!” Yang gave a final yell as the world around her disappeared._

* * *

Her eyes finally opened when she awoke from the dream. She almost immediately closed them again, however, as the light in the room proved to be a bit too bright. Shaking slightly, Yang brought a sore hand to her eyes, rubbing them.

“Oh, yer awake!”

The new voice startled Yang, who rocketed into a sitting position (while also taking a moment to go “hey, I can move now!” in her mind.). She felt something hop onto the bed, and by her guess it was a child... Only it didn't  _look_ like a child when she finally opened her eyes all the way.

It was some sort of... horse thing.

Now, to Yang’s credit, she didn't yell, scream or anything like that. But she let out a gasp, crawling as far away from the small yellow horse as the bed would allow her. The small horse had a red mane and orange eyes, along with a light-red bow on top of her mane.

“That...” Yang murmured. “This is one of the strangest things I have  _ever_ seen.” She stated simply, clenching a fist. Not that she expected the thing to attack her, but she’d fought cuter looking things before.

“Hey!” The strange horse thing objected in the same country accent as Applejack. Did that mean that Applejack was a horse, too? The horse-like creature scrunched up her face in anger. “Ya know, ya shouldn’t be goin’ around callin’ ponies strange when  _yer_ the strange one! Ah ain’t ever seen anythin’ like y’all!” The yellow horse harrumphed and turned away from Yang, who simply sat with a blank look on her face.

“Uh...” Was all the blonde could say, her fist slowly unclenching and falling to her side. Maybe it was the shock of still being alive, or maybe her brain just didn’t care anymore, she didn’t know. But she wasn’t as surprised at the talking yellow horse as she probably should have been. It looks like a thing out of a little girl’s cartoon, for God’s sake! “... I’m... Sorry?” Yang eventually said lamely, her voice still quite raspy.

“Well, okay!” The horse- er,  _pony_ , as it insisted- immediately perked up and smiled at the human, extending a hoof out. “Ah’m Apple Bloom! What’s yer name, miss?” The complete 180 in her attitude surprised the blonde, her eyes widening slightly and her fist clenching again as she registered the hoof pointing in her direction.

Apple Bloom sat with a hoof extended, expecting Yang to shake it, for a few seconds before the brawler finally grasped the hoof with a hand, shaking it a little. “Yang.” The human answered with a hint of pride behind her name. “Yang Xiao Long. Nice to meet you, App-” She stuttered over the strange name. “Apple Bloom.”

The filly smiled brightly as she nodded and jumped down from the bed, her hooves landing on the wooden floor with a  _clop_. She laughed as the name finally registered in her mind. “Wow, Applejack was right! Yer name  _is_ weird!”

Yang rolled her eyes, relaxing her hand and letting her arm fall to her side. “Yeah, well,” She began, leaning her head to the side, cracking her neck with a loud  _pop_. “Where I’m from, we don’t name our kids after food, so...” With a grunt, she stretched her arms above her head and groaned, the muscles not used to moving after not being used for... Wait, how long hadshe been asleep? Kicking her legs to the side of the bed, now sitting on the edge of the mattress, she looked at Apple Bloom who had decided to plop her rear on the floor and sit there as the blonde got up. “How long have I been out, Apple Bloom?” The human and the pony looked into each other’s eyes; lilac pupils full of worry, and orange pupils filled with reluctance.

“Uh... Well...” Apple Bloom began slowly, averting her gaze and glancing at the ground. “Um... Let’s see...” Yang narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms as the pony began muttering under her breath, rattling off days and numbers.

“Ah’d say y’all’ve been asleep fer... Five days? Then ya woke up yesterday, but went back ta sleep, and now yer up again. So nearly a week?” She said uncertainly, smiling shyly as Yang’s eyes bore into her own. Yang’s eyes filled with shock and worry and her heart dropped, her limbs became numb and her breathing became labored.

“Six days...?” The human grumbled quietly as the information processed. “So... I’m guessing this world... isn’t Remnant? This world’s name isn’t Remnant, right?” Yang asked as smoothly as she could with a voice that only half-worked and a throat that felt like sandpaper.

Apple Bloom raised a questioning eyebrow. “‘Remnant’? Can’t say Ah’ve ever heard o’ that place before.” Yang’s shoulders slumped as the pony spoke.

So this was, indeed, a different world, not the afterlife. Not that she wasn’t happy to be alive- far from it in fact- but if this wasn’t life after death, then  _Ruby_ wasn’t here... Wherever here is. Walking up to the dejected blonde and placing a comforting hoof on her shoulder, the yellow pony continued speaking. “But Ah think Applejack might! She knows lots o’ things!” And despite the fact that hooves should not be able to grasp things, Apple Bloom’s hoof grabbed Yang’s hand and yanked her forcefully from the bed, earning a gasp from the blonde.

Yang quickly pulled her hand free of Apple Bloom’s impossible grip and put her hands against the nearest wall, keeping herself steady as her legs got comfortable with being used again. “Apple Bloom...” The blonde bombshell began with a breath. “Don’t ever do that again.” She tried to look at the pony... Only to find that she had already dashed out of the room, apparently eager to get Applejack.

Sighing, Yang steeled herself and began walking towards the door. This world was apparently inhabited by ponies- and with no human in sight, it was no wonder why that bed felt way too small.

* * *

Ever since she had found Yang outside, the strange creature had been at the front of Applejack’s mind all week. Questions about where she came from, why she was outside in a crater, how she had gotten there and other similar worries kept her from truly relaxing over the last few days. Constant fretting over when- and if- she’d wake up, or how she’d react when she did... It was enough to make Applejack  _not_ focus on her work for once.

She had considered turning to either Fluttershy or Twilight for answers, but both of them hadn’t been seen in town for the past week and Applejack couldn’t get in touch with them so they were out of the question. Then she considered going to the Ponyville Hospital or even the vet, but it was unlikely that they would have the proper knowledge to care for Yang... not that Applejack had that knowledge, either, but still.

Big Mac, Granny Smith and Apple Bloom were all worried about Yang as well, though Mac was more wary of her than worried for her. There was an air about the creature, something that indicated that she had a fire burning in her, that’s for sure. And that fire burned  _hot_. It was dangerous, that much Mac knew. But still, it’s not like he could just throw Yang out- not that he wanted to. Applejack was dead-set on caring for her, so despite his worries, the creature stayed.

The orange mare sat at the kitchen table, reading the latest news while absentmindedly munching on some toast. Today would be another busy day; helping Mac with filling in the crater, replanting the downed trees in addition to the regular day-to-day chores. There was so much to do, Granny Smith actually had Apple Bloom stay home from school so she could help out.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear it seems, as Apple Bloom soon came barreling down the stairs while excitedly shouting “Applejack! Applejack!”, startling the mare in question as her sister ran into the kitchen with her eyes wide and a smile on her face. “Applejack, ya gotta get upstairs, quick!”

Applejack dropped the newspaper and looked at her sister quizzically as she stood from her chair. “Apple Bloom?” She began, walking over to the smaller pony. “Everythin’ all right? Y’all took a long time up there with Yang...”

“That’s why ya gotta get upstairs!” Apple Bloom exclaimed, jumping up and down with excitement. “She’s awake!”

Those words brought Applejack’s good mood crashing down, replacing it with anxiety and anxiousness. “She is?” She asked hesitantly. “W-well, that’s great news! We’d better gather Mac ‘n’ Granny- they ain't gonna wanna miss this!” Despite her happy tone, Applejack was  _terrified_. Yang Xiao Long was a mystery, they didn't know what she was capable of, or if she'd be too happy about her current situation!

Apple Bloom ran off, shouting the names of the other two members of the Apple Family as she disappeared. Applejack simply sighed, preparing herself. If her hunch was right, Yang was a visitor from another world- an alien. To be the first pony to formally welcome an... What was the word? Alien? To be the first pony to welcome an alien to Equestria was no small thing. She couldn't mess this up.

Applejack had no more time to think about that though, as she heard a new set of footsteps descending the stairs. The steps were tired and heavy... And they obviously belonged to a bipedal creature. That meant that Yang was coming to meet the family.

The orange farmer gulped. This was gonna be awkward.

* * *

It seems the shock of not dying was finally beginning to wear off, as the anxiety of meeting friggin’  _aliens_  began settling in. Small, colorful, horse-like aliens. Yang kept her fists clenched at all times, ready to extend the Ember Celica at any moment. She really didn't expect to find any trouble with these...  _ponies..._  But better safe than sorry, you know?

Plus, she  _really_ did not want to die a second time.

Walking down the stairs was a more daunting task than Yang thought it would be; her legs still resisted every move and her heart was beating a mile a minute. Honest to God  _aliens_  were down there, waiting for her. What if they wanted to eat her brains?! Wait no, those are zombies...

Whatever the case, she was not looking forward to the day. Even if it was her first day alive again, it was already starting off terribly. If only her team was here, they would know what to do. Yang was always the “punch first, ask questions later” type of girl- Weiss, Blake and sometimes even Ruby were the ones to plan things out. But she was alone now... No friends, no sister... She would need to get through this by herself.

Yang placed a hand on the guard rail as she descended the flight of stairs with a weak chuckle. “Heh, don’t worry, Xiao Long...” She began. “You burn. Hotter than the sun, right? You got this.” Though she tried to give herself a smile, it failed to raise her spirits any.

Taking a breath, she stepped off of the final step and onto the ground floor of the house. “... Hello?” Yang called slowly, her gaze rolling around the room. She heard someone gasp from the next room- a woman- and readied herself for the meeting.

Still standing at the bottom of the stairs, Yang stiffened as she saw the mare. An orange pony, bigger than Apple Bloom but still just barely large enough to clear Yang’s hip... And even that was probably because of the cowgirl hat she wore. Strangely, the orange mare- presumably Applejack- also had three apples on either side of her flanks... Some kind of birthmark, maybe?

“Uh...” Both the human and the pony said at the same moment. The two stared, emerald eyes gazing into lilac, as two species formally interacted for the first time. As one they walked forward, never breaking eye contact as they did so.

Now within arm's length of each other, they continued to stare, neither one daring to break the silence for fear of attracting the wrath of the other. Yang relaxed her fists, letting her fingers fall down. Smirking, she extended a hand.

With a large smile, Applejack grasped the hand in her hoof.

In the most cliche sci-fi alien voice she could muster, Yang said “Take me to your leader!”, earning a laugh from the farmer.

“Nice to officially meet ya, Yang.” Applejack’s laugh trailed off as she finished her sentence. “Ah don't suppose ya know where ya are?”

Letting her arm fall back to her side, the human shook her head. “Nope.” Noticing that her voice was a little  _too_ raspy for her liking, Yang cleared her throat. “Sorry. My voice is a little  _horse_ right now.”

Applejack’s smile immediately fell, replaced by a blank look. “Did y’all really just...”

“Yup!” Yang’s voice filled with pride. “Sorry if that was in bad taste. Just wanted to lighten the mood, y’know?” She emphasized her point with a chuckle as she smiled brightly. “But seriously, can I get a glass of water, please? My throat is dry as hell.”

* * *

_**Arc One: I Burn** _  
_**Part One End** _


	3. Arc One: I Burn, Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Applejack explains this new world.

_**Arc One: I Burn** _  
_**Part Two** _

* * *

”So, uh...” Yang began, sitting on a couch next to Applejack who stared at the human waiting for Yang to finish her sentence. “Where exactly am I? I'm...  _ninety-nine_ percent sure that my world doesn't have, well, anything like you running around.” The human reached out a hand, grabbing the glass of water that sat on the table in front of them.

After their first official meeting by the stairs, Applejack had suggested that they speak in the living room to make it a bit more comfortable for them both; a suggestion that Yang was happy for since her legs were still not used to being used after her week-long nap. The farmer mare knew that the human did not have the energy to keep standing, so they moved to the couch as soon as possible. Then what followed was quite possibly the most awkward moments of silence in the history of forever. Neither one wanted to speak first, lest they somehow say something wrong. Luckily, that wasn’t the case. The first thing to be asked was “Can I have another glass of water?” from Yang, earning a laugh from Applejack who immediately fulfilled the request.

The mare cleared her throat as Yang finished taking her drink. “Well, yer obviously not from ‘round here,” Applejack started, rubbing a hoof under her chin. “Ah think we should start off with the basics, fer now. Hold on a sec...” She hopped down off the couch and trotted over to a bookshelf and grabbed a book from near the top before making her way back to Yang, setting the book down next to the human and flipping it open. “Alrighty then, let’s start with this.

“Yer in this country here,” The mare pointed to a map on the page- a map of the entire world, which obviously was not Remnant. The particular place she pointed to was a country dead-center in the continent, labeled ‘Equestria’. “Equestria’s where us ponies come from. This planet’s called Equus, and it’s just chock-full of all kinds o’ fancy creatures!”

Yang raised an eyebrow. “So, there’s more things on this planet than just ponies? What, like, talking dogs or something?” The human scoffed, crossing her arms, but widened her eyes when Applejack smiled knowingly. “...Suddenly I’m glad that Ru- that a certain someone’s not here.” Saying her name was just too painful right now. “She would absolutely love talking dogs.”

Applejack looked at the brawler questioningly, but continued anyway. “So, Equestria’s where we’re at. It’s ruled by Princess Celestia,” the pony turned the page, revealing a picture of two ponies... “And Princess Luna.”

“Hold up!” Yang put a hand in the air, silencing Applejack. She grabbed the book and brought it closer to her face, looking at it carefully. “These ponies have wings. And a horn.” She stated factually. She placed the book down and looked at Applejack, who looked at her oddly. “What?”

“They’re called ‘alicorns’, sugar cube.” Applejack informed Yang. “They have really strong magic-” Yang opened her mouth to interrupt, but the farmer kept talking. “-and they rule over Equestria. Now Ah know fer sure that yer not from this world. Even folk in other countries know about the princesses.”

“Yeah, well, my world doesn't have magical talking ponies.” Yang set the book back on the couch cushion next to her and sighed sadly, placing her hands on her head. “This...” What could she even say at this point? ‘This world is strange’? This world was  _way past_ strange. Talking ponies, for God’s sake! Eventually, Yang found the words. “This is a whole lot to take in...” Her voice shook, though not from the dryness of her throat. An alien world, God-knows how far away from Remnant... And Yang was completely alone.

Applejack placed a hoof on Yang’s back with a sad look in her eyes. “Ah’m sorry, Yang. Ah don’t know how different mah world is from yours... But Ah don't think they're too similar. Ah can't imagine what yer goin’ through.”

The human groaned and leaned back with a frown, her hands covering her eyes. “Stop that.” She said tersely. “Seriously. I don't know why the  _hell_ I ended up here, but from what I can tell, it isn't your fault.” Yang paused, opening her eyes and looking at the pony next to her. “Though speaking of which, how  _did_ you find me? I don't think I just popped up in your house, right? “

The farmer answered slowly. “Y’all just went and fell out of the sky. Knocked down a few of mah trees and knocked a mighty big crater in mah land.” Applejack didn't like what she was going to have to say next, but it had to be done. “Speaking of which, yer goin’ ta have ta work that off...” Big Mac and Granny Smith were adamant about that bit. If Yang refused to work off the damages, Mac would not hesitate to call the guards... And likely get Yang taken away.

The brawler’s eyes widened in shock, but they quickly shrunk back to regular size. With a harrumph Yang leaned forward and placed an elbow on her knee, resting her head on her hand. “Makes sense I suppose...” She grumbled. “Doesn't mean I have to like it...”

“Well, hey,” Applejack interjected with a happy tone. “Why don't’cha tell me about yer world? Take yer mind off of things?”

Yang simply sighed. “I don’t think that’ll work, Applejack. Thanks for trying, though. It means a lot.”

The farmer sighed. “Ah’m sorry ‘bout all of this, Yang.” Applejack’s voice took on that big-sisterly tone again as she tried to comfort the human. “Is there anythin’ Ah can do ta make ya feel better?” Yang didn't know if it was her words, her tone or what, but the human immediately perked up, still obviously distressed but less so.

“Got anything I can punch?” It was a simple question, one that Applejack understood. The pony nodded and pointed out of a window at a tree. Yang didn't look strong enough to cause any major damage, so it should be fine.

The pony jumped back as Yang’s bracelets turned into gauntlets, extending over her fists as she stood from the couch. “Be right back.” Was all Yang said as she calmly walked out of the Apple Family’s house and towards the tree Applejack had pointed at.

She briefly noted that this was her first time stepping outside on an alien world, but quickly pushed that thought away and focused on the tree. Her hands curled into fists as she approached it and her eyes turned to daggers.

Yang pulled a fist back and stared at the bark. Each piece was unique in its own way; some were big, some were small. This tree was undoubtedly old, and probably had been with the Apples for generations... It almost made her feel bad about this.

Almost.

With a snarl, her fist rocketed into the tree, splintering the bark and embedding into the trunk. Pieces of the tree went flying as her second fist also made contact, the strikes’ power intensified by the Ember Celica’s steel.

Another yell. Yang pulled her fists out of the tree and plunged them back in, each time causing further damage. Images flashed in her mind: her sister. Her teammates. Her friends. Would she ever see them again?

Tears streamed down Yang’s face as her strikes fell into rhythm. Left fist, right fist. Left fist, right fist. And with a final scream, the dual gauntlets fired, sending two blasts into the tree. The tree exploded, leaving nothing but a stump and a few apples that were burnt to a crisp.

The brawler fell to her knees with labored, painful breaths. Her yelling only served to aggravate her already sore throat even further, making it especially harder to breath.

Yang heard foot- er,  _hoof_ steps behind her, but she didn't bother looking back. She knew what was going to happen. She’d get reprimanded, probably be held in that room she woke up in for a while, and have the cost of that tree added to her work.

Worth it.

“I know,” Yang began hoarsely. “I shouldn't have done that.” She’d  _probably_ come to regret destroying this tree later, but right now she didn't care. She had no idea how to get home, or if she  _could_ get home. What then? It didn't seem likely that the Apples would let her live with them forever...

“Eeyup.” A simple word for a simple sounding voice. A deep one, too. What was the word for a guy pony? A stallion? Yeah, that sounded right. The stallion didn't walk up to Yang, and instead kept his distance, which she was grateful for.

“And that’ll just add to my work, huh?”

“Eeyup.”

Rolling her eyes at the short response, she continued. “You don't talk a whole lot, do you?”

“Nnnope.”

Oh good. He can say more than one word. That's some progress, then. Slowly Yang pushed herself to her feet with shaky breaths, her eyes burning red... Literally. “What's your name?” She asked, still not glancing behind her, instead she looked at the remains of the tree.

“Macintosh. Big Macintosh.”

“Nice you meet ya, Macintosh. I’m Yang.” The human stretched her arms above her head, arching her back as she did so. She groaned as her shoulder popped, relief flowing through the arm. Yang then finally turned her head to look behind her.

The stallion was much bigger than Applejack- both width and height-wise. His red coat accentuated his role of an apple farmer quite well, along with the picture of a green apple on his flanks. Another apple mark. Maybe it’s a family tradition to get apple tattoos?

Yang noticed that he, like Applejack, possessed emerald green eyes. So they were related, probably siblings, considering that Applejack mentioned a ‘Big Mac’ earlier.

She cracked a smile, turning to face the stallion. “Seriously, though,” Yang began, leaning her head to the side to crack her neck. “I really am sorry about the tree. I’ll, uh, make it up to you.”

Big Macintosh nodded firmly, his eyes betraying no emotion. “Eeyup.”

The red in Yang’s eyes steadily began to fade back into lilac as her smile grew even wider. “Guess I was just  _barking up the wrong tree,_ doing that, huh?”

Macintosh’s mouth formed a straight line as his gaze hardened and his head lowered. Yang did not let his quiet groan go unnoticed.

Happy with herself, she crossed her arms. “Nailed it.”

Macintosh stared at Yang, chewing on his cheek as he thought to himself. She didn't know what he was thinking, but it was definitely something.

“Yang,” he began, slightly startling the human. “Can Ah ask ya a question?” She didn't really like how his voice went all serious, but she kept quiet and waited to see what he had to say. “Who’d ya lose?”

Of all the questions, that one was the one she least expected. Her eyes widened and her mouth hung open as she stammered, trying to form words. “Uh... Huh?” She questioned lamely.

“Ah lost mah parents when Ah was young. Got angry a lot.” Even his sentences weren't very long. His eyes hardened as he continued. “One day Ah came out here and punched trees. Somethin’ to get rid of the anger. Knocked a couple of ‘em down.” Macintosh took a deep breath, as if steeling himself before he went on.

“Ah know that kind of anger, Yang. The kind made from  _sadness_. So... Who’d ya lose?”

Yang didn't really know how to answer that. She didn't even know this guy, and yet here he was, asking these kind of questions? Who even does that?

“I, uh... My sister.” She silently begged him not to ask for a name. Macintosh nodded slightly, blinking slowly as he looked the human over.

“Ah’m sorry ‘bout that. How?”

“How?” How she died? “I... Um... M-Murdered.” Yang crossed her arms, tilting her head down as she frowned. “Didn't go down easily. She fought ‘til the end.” Her voice dropped to just above a whisper, barely audible though a suddenly tight throat. She cast her gaze to the stallion, glaring slightly as she made herself louder. “Why do you wanna know?”

Macintosh shrugged, turning his head to look over the fields. “No reason. Ah just don't think anypony should have ta be sad all alone.” He then looked at Yang again, returning her slight glare with one of his own. “Ah am sorry ‘bout yer sister. Ah don't know what Ah’d do if Ah lost mine. So  _stay away_ from Apple Bloom. Ya got a fire in ya, Yang. And if yer not careful, you’ll burn somepony. And if you hurt mah family, Celestia help you.”

Yang knew where he was coming from. Hell, she sympathized with his sentiment. But it still made her angry. She again crossed her arms, intensifying her glare. “Okay...” She paused. “... And if I don’t?”

Probably  _the worst possible_ thing to say at that moment, but whatever. “Then Ah will _personally_ kick ya off of mah land. Ya seem like a nice girl, Yang. You really do. But Ah ain't riskin’ mah family.” His glare hardened, digging into her own as they locked eyes.

Yang sighed. “Alright. Fine. I’ll keep away from her.” She let her arms drop to her sides, but keeping her hands balled into fists. “But don't expect me to outright avoid her. I don't wanna make it seem like I don't like her. If  _she_ comes to  _me_ , I’m not walking away.”

Macintosh nodded. “Seems fair.” His eyes went from the human to the tree behind her. “Ya start the work first thing tomorrow. Ah’ll wake y’all up.” She acknowledged him with a nod of her own.

Macintosh turned and walked away.

* * *

_Ruby..._

_She’s dead..._

_Her vision was red. Red like roses. Smoke danced in the air around the crater that held whatever was left of her sister. Killed by a barrage of flares. What a way to go. Everyone expected a Huntress to die by Grimm, not another human. But Roman Torchwick killed her anyway._

_With an anguished scream, she ran towards the man in the bowler hat, her Ember Celica extending into full gauntlets around her fists. She saw only red. Murderous red. Red like roses. The man killed Ruby Rose. He would pay._

_But before she could punch Roman in his smug face, something impacted her. She was sent to the ground, denting the concrete. Despite her Aura blocking most of the pain, the impact still knocked the wind out of her lungs. Gasping for air, she looked up from her position on the ground, and her lilac eyes immediately sharpened into a glare._

_That mute from the other day. The one who helped Roman escape after the fight with that mech. The mute stood with a cocky but elegant posture, an umbrella clutched tightly in her hands to her chest._

_“Ah!” Roman exclaimed, twirling his flare-shooting cane in his hand. “So good to see you, Neo. Thanks for the save...” The man said in a teasing tone, staring at Yang who still lay on the ground, slowly catching her breath._

_“Why don’t you reunite this bimbo with her sister? I’m sure it’ll be very... touching.”_

_With that, Torchwick walked away, leaving Neo to face against the remaining three members of RWBY._

Yang awoke with a loud shriek, sweat rolling down her face as labored breath escaped her lungs. She frantically looked around the darkened room, only slightly illuminated by the moonlight pouring in through the window. Her heart was beating a mile a minute, banging inside her chest with great force.

“The hell...?”

She knew that she had died. She knew that  _Ruby_ had died. But that... That wasn’t a dream. It was a memory. Is that how she died? Was it Neo’s sword that ended her life on Remnant? Almost instinctively: Yang brought a hand to her throat, rubbing it while she slowly blinked.

She didn’t know how she got here. She died, and then here she was in Equestria. It didn’t make sense. How would she get home?  _Could_ she get home?

Home...

She wondered how things were going back on Remnant. Team JNPR would no doubt be mourning her loss. Would Beacon suspend classes for a few days, or would they force grieving students to attend lectures? Jaune, JNPR’s leader, would undoubtedly be a wreck.

Did Weiss and Blake survive? For now, Yang decided to work on the assumption that no, they did not. With that line of thought, that meant that Team RWBY had fallen. Completely. It’s not rare for a few members of a team to die, but a whole team? Of first-year Huntresses? Almost unheard of. Beacon was supposed to have state-of-the-art protection for the students.

Then again, dying is certainly a consequence of investigating matters out of the school’s hands...

With a deep breath, Yang slowly laid back down and sighed. Home. She didn’t know when, or if, she’d get back. But damn it all if she wasn’t going to try. “I’m a Huntress.” She said, her eyes sharpening. “I protect people. I can’t do that if I’m stuck here.” She tossed herself onto her side, snuggling against the fluffy pillow.

“I’ll get back. I know I will.

“ _I burn._ ”

* * *

_**Arc One: I Burn** _  
_**Part Two End** _


	4. Interlude: What Comes After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team RWBY's defeat shakes their friends to the core.

_**Remnant Interlude** _   
_**What Comes After** _

* * *

Perhaps if he had been more observant, things would not have turned out this way. Perhaps if he had looked away from his partner’s brilliant emerald eyes, he could have done something. Changed the outcome, maybe.

Saved his friends.

The dance started swimmingly. How could it not? It was organized by team RWBY, after all. If you could say anything about Yang, it was that the girl knew how to party. Weiss knew precisely how the decor should look. And while Ruby and Blake hardly contributed, they still helped by simply arriving to the dance. No celebration would feel complete without them.

Which was probably why he felt so pitiful.

The dance kicked into full swing before midnight, nearly every student paired together in a dance, either platonically or romantically. Some simply stood by the punch bowl, like himself, drinking a toast to the socially awkward. Ruby and Jaune were two of those people by the punch, chatting away as friends are wont to do. It was then that she mentioned that Weiss had been at the dance alone.

He just couldn't comprehend that a beautiful girl such as Weiss Schnee would be at a dance without a partner. Jaune resolved to fix that. So he left Ruby- and his glass of punch- behind, angrily stomping his feet as he walked off. Jaune would never see Ruby alive again.

One thing led to another, and now here he stood, dancing with the strongest girl in school and his partner, Pyrrha Nikos. He also happened to be wearing a dress, but that was only because of a promise he had made a few days prior. Jaune hardly noticed when Ruby walked out of the dance and into the direction of the Transit Tower. Jaune never saw the bullets fly or heard the explosions. He never noticed the rest of RWBY running out of the dance and into the fray.

He  _did_ hear a wave of fire roaring past the entrance to the dance. Jaune didn't know it at the time, but he had just witnessed Cinder Fall making an attempt to shake off the pursuing team of Huntresses. Hysteria soon took over the students of the four kingdoms. What could have caused that blaze? He didn't know, and wasn't exactly sure if he wanted to find out, but his partner soon took control of the situation.

Pyrrha Nikos was a perfect student. She stood as the best fighter in the school, undefeated in all of her matches in addition to being a world-renowned combatant. Her voice immediately calmed the attendees of the dance, assuring them that everything would be okay.

It wasn't.

* * *

After the dance, first year students were to be going on missions, shadowing professional Huntsmen and Huntresses to gain some experience in life outside of Beacon. But now, those missions had been postponed. Nearly every student sat in the large auditorium, the seats packed with somber faces. There was no joy. There was no happiness. Only grief.

Headmaster Ozpin slowly walked to the front of the room, standing behind a mic stand with his head hung low. “It is...” The man began slowly through a tight throat. “It is with great sorrow I gather you all here today. As I’m sure you are all aware... An incident occurred last night, involving the criminal Roman Torchwick.”

Ozpin raised his head to look at the students in the room. His eyes were unwilling to show emotion, and thus became cold. Hard. Yet still soft, in a way. As his gaze travelled from student to student, it steadily grew warmer. “Five brave students confronted him, and unfortunately...” He paused to gulp, taking a breath before he continued. “Unfortunately, all five were killed in the ensuing battle.”

Of course, nearly everybody knew this already. But with the Headmaster himself declaring it, there was no possible way to deny the truth. Jaune could hear Nora sniffle beside him, causing Ren to put a hand on her shoulder. Five students dead, and for nothing. Roman still got away, whatever he had planned had obviously gone with barely a hitch.

“The deceased are as follows...” Ozpin began as large pictures of five people appeared behind him. “Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long of team RWBY, may you rest in piece. And Mercury Black of team CNEM, may you rest in peace.” The man lowered his head, his white hair obscuring his face as the five pictures turned gray and eventually faded away.

“May this be a lesson to all of you.” He said harshly as he lifted his head. “You are not Huntsmen just yet. You are  _students_ , taking your first steps into the real world. And the real world is not pretty. If you're not careful, you _will_  end up dead. Even fully realized Huntsmen may fall in battle if not fully prepared. You are not invincible, and you are not adults just yet.

“Team RWBY, may your souls rest peacefully. Mercury Black, may your soul rest peacefully.”

With that, Ozpin walked away leaving the students in the auditorium. Jaune stared forward, his eyes fixed where the portraits of his friends were only moments ago. He felt a hand rest on his back, and turned his head to see it belonged to Pyrrha. She tried to smile comfortingly at him, but it failed on account of the tears running down her cheeks.

He leaned in for a hug, embracing his partner tightly as he silently sobbed. He felt her tears land on his back as her chest heaved. The two hugged, oblivious to the world as they grieved.

Thus kindly I scatter...

* * *

The bar was loud. Not that it mattered.

The atmosphere of this place was... Unfamiliar. Full of men and women, so drunk they couldn't see straight, all joking and laughing with their friends. Or drinking alone. Some simply because they had no one, others drowning their sorrows in the drink.

Some person drunkenly fell out of their chair, earning loud laughter from their friends. It was loud, causing a womn in the front of the bar to clutch her head with an irritated expression.. With a groan she rubbed her temple with her thumb, gritting her teeth as the men continued to laugh. Frustratedly she downed another gulp, the liquid burning her throat as it went down.

“Havin’ fun, Ice Queen?” A raspy voice sounded behind her. She didn't need to look to know who it was.

“Qrow.” She said unpleasantly. “Why am I not surprised that you're here?”

He chuckled lightly, sitting on the stool next to hers. “Well, sorry that I wanted to check up on a friend, Winter.”

“We are _not_  friends.” She said through clenched teeth, feeling her glass in tightly clenched hands as the man put a hand over his heart in mock offense.

“I’m hurt, Winter.  _Wounded._ After all we’ve been through together, this is how you repay me? No wonder I call you the Ice Queen.” Qrow ran a hand through his messy black hair, pushing several stray strands out of his face. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a few Lien, dropping it on the counter and pointing at a drink on the menu.

“I just lost a sister, brute.” Winter growled. “So I thought you would have understood that I’d rather be alone at the moment.” She never spared him a glance- never gave him the satisfaction of eye contact. That was all he was here for. To get an edge on her, to see her in a moment of weakness-

“I know. I just lost two nieces.”

It was then that Winter’s eyes widened and she straightened her posture. She was so tempted to look his way, and to demand an answer, but she didn’t. She knew that if she did, she’d just see that same cocky smirk as he downed a glass of the bar’s heaviest drink. Qrow wasn’t the type to ever show sadness- not in the normal way. And his way of showing it was to make others as annoyed with him as possible. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t act like you didn’t know, Ice Queen.” She heard the telltale clink of a glass colliding with the counter as Qrow gulped. “You were just too focused on your own loss to consider the loss of others. Think about Taiyang. He just lost two daughters, after he lost two wives. And the family of that Blake girl... Think about them, too.” The man sighed, blinking slowly. He never spared her a glance. He wouldn’t give her the satisfaction.

“We’re not just protectors, Winter. I may be a teacher, and you may be a military specialist... But at the end of the day, we’re uncles and sisters. We’re human. We focus on what we have and what we’ve lost without consideration for others. It’s in our nature.” Another  _clink_ of the glass as he downed another gulp. “Hell, when I lose something, I drink. Lost my sister years ago, and I’m still just a drunk. Now my nieces are gone. And I’m still drinking.” Qrow lifted his head and rested his chin in his hand, staring forward as he continued. “You lost Weiss. And you’re drinking. Guess we’re more alike than we thought, eh?”

He leaned to the side with little emotion on his face as the tip of Winter’s sword pressed against the skin of his neck. “Do.  _Not._ ” She began tersely. “Say that.  **Ever.**  You know what makes us different, Qrow? I’m not a coward. When I lost my mother, I continued with my life. When my father stopped loving my sister and I, I continued on. And now that my sister is  _dead_... I’m moving on.” Without lowering her weapon, she took another drink. “I’m taking my time to grieve, then I’ll go back to Atlas, and continue on.  _You,_ on the other hand...

“When Raven disappeared, you broke, Qrow. You became nothing more than a washed-up Huntsman drinking his sorrows away. When Summer died and Taiyang cracked, you never bothered to make sure they were okay. It was up to Ozpin to make sure Taiyang didn’t do something foolish. And now here you are, helping us identify an unknown terrorist and a threat to our very way of lives... For what? Some sort of penance? Because we all know that you just don’t give a damn anymore, Qrow.”

For a second there, Winter honestly thought she had shut him up. But Qrow simply chuckled, taking another gulp as the blade dug into his skin. “Ya ain’t wrong, Ice Queen. But you missed the mark on one thing.” With that, he calmly lifted a hand and slowly pushed Winter’s sword away from himself. “I do give a damn. Oh, not about you, or the General... Hell, not even Ozpin. The only thing I gave a damn about was my family. And they wouldn’t want me sitting on my behind doin’ nothin’.” His speech became slurred, the drink finally taking its toll. “I may be broken, Winter, but I’m bein’  _fixed._  One piece at a time.

“I’m here because Ruby and Yang? Despite me bein’ me, they looked at me, and I saw  _love._ Them kids looked up to me. I saw ‘em both go from diapers to bein’ the best damn Huntresses I’ve seen since their moms. And now that they’re gone...” He paused, mulling over his words. “What have I got left? The answer is... I’ve still got them. They’ve never left me. No matter where I go, they’ll be there, watchin’ over me. And they don’t wanna see their uncle fall harder than he already has.” Qrow stood, placing more money on the counter as he walked away. He still never looked at Winter. “Don’t let Weiss see her sister take the plunge.”

As he exited the bar, her grip on her glass tightened as she squeezed her eyes shut. The sobs started soon after.

* * *

The skies seemed a little more gray than usual.

Team JNPR had been allowed a few days of break from classes and had been granted permission to not be assigned a mission like the other first years, but Jaune and his team decided not to accept that. With what little they knew, they knew that Roman Torchwick killed their friends. Teams were due to be sent off tomorrow, but JNPR had yet to even pick a mission.

It wasn't that they didn't want to. On the contrary, in fact.  _They very much wanted to._  But it was one thing that kept them from choosing: they had no idea which one to pick. Originally, Nora and Ren wanted to shadow a sheriff stationed outside a tiny village which was apparently important to them, but after Team RWBY... Team JNPR had agreed that whatever mission they took on should help them catch their killer.

Roman Torchwick would need to pay.

But there was just one problem with that: they had no idea how to find him. And that's why Jaune stood in an elevator, rising to Ozpin’s office at the top of Beacon Academy. He would get information; not that he expected to intimidate the Headmaster in any way, shape or form. No, he just wanted to talk.

The doors opened with a  _ding_ , sliding to reveal the scrawny blonde standing awkwardly with his sword, Crocea Mors, hanging at his side. Jaune looked forward, his eyes landing on Ozpin, who simply stayed in his chair with a coffee mug in his hand.

“Mister Arc,” Ozpin addressed him pleasantly. “How unexpected. I would have thought you would be with your team. Tell me,” The Headmaster leaned forward, placing the mug on his table. “How are they doing? I've suffered many losses in my time, and none of them have been as... Damning... As this one, I assure you.”

Jaune took a deep breath, Calming his rapid heartbeat. “Uh... They're fine, Professor. I think. Um...” The boy took a few steps forward, lot of the elevator and into the room proper. “I actually came to ask you something, Professor.” Jeez, this was dumb. Saying something wrong could get him expelled, but here Jaune was, about to do... This.

“Oh? And what would that be?” The Headmaster inquired, staring at Jaune intently. “But, before you do that, have a seat please. You look as if you're about to fall over.” The white-haired man gestured to a smaller chair in front of the desk.

“Oh, ah... Thanks.” Awkwardly, Jaune walked towards the chair and sat down, gulping as he looked the Headmaster in the eyes. “I, um... Thing is...”

“Let me guess.” Ozpin interrupted, raising a hand to silence the leader. “You think I know more about your friends’ demise than I let on. Isn't that right?” Well, dang. Had he been that transparent?

Signing, Jaune tilted his head down. “Yes, sir.”

“Look at me, boy.” He didn't say the words harshly- in fact, they were filled with kindness. But they still made Jaune flinch as he looked up. “I can tell you're nervous.” No kidding. “But I can assure you that you have nothing to fear. Please, relax, and ask me whatever you wish. I’ll answer to the best of my ability.” Particular choice of words, there. Ozpin never said he'd be honest.

Slightly encouraged, the blonde straightened his posture and required himself. He supposed he should ask the easiest questions first...

“How'd they die?”

Ozpin visibly cringed, obviously uncomfortable with the inquiry. “It wasn't pleasant...” Was all he said before he paused, placing a hand on his forehead. “Do you want me to go into detail? Or do you wish to hear only the basics?”

Jaune nodded confidently, though he felt just the opposite. “Details.”

The Headmaster sighed, closing his eyes. “Ruby was the first to perish. According to witness statements, she rushed ahead of her team to confront Roman Torchwick. She put up a brilliant fight but in the end it was not enough. All I will say is that there was hardly anything left to bury.”

Jaune’s eyes widened and his skin turned slightly green. He felt like stopping right then and there, but didn't. He needed to know. His team needed to know. “... Go on...” He said through clenched teeth.

“Yang, engaged, attempted to fight Torchwick as well. We don't know the specifics just yet, but we do know that Torchwick had an accomplice with him. This accomplice stabbed miss Xiao Long through her throat. It was not a fast death.”

Jaune felt tears sting at the corners of his eyes. How could someone like Yang be bested in a battle? It seems incomprehensible. She was practically a one-woman-army!

“Miss Schnee was too bested by this accomplice. She was stabbed through her abdomen by her own sword, as far as we can tell. Mister Black followed soon, with Miss Belladonna's weapon being his cause of death. We don't know the circumstances of his battle just yet. And as for Blake herself... She was burned to death. That is all I will say.”

A tear rolled down Jaune’s cheek. He figured that Ozpin was trying to scare him away with such sickening details, but Jaune wouldn't leave. He couldn't.

“Where is Torchwick?” He growled.

“We are not sure. We believe he his conspiring with the White Fang, but we have no confirmed reports of this.”

Wait.

That's it! Jaune asked the wrong question. Ozpin hadn't lied, but rather avoided the truth. True, they didn't know where  _Torchwick_ was... But didn't Ruby mention something about investigating the White Fang a few days ago?

“Okay... Where's the Fang?” Jaune asked, and felt satisfaction when Ozpin smiled at him. The Headmaster sat straight, taking a drink from his mug as the boy awaited his answer.

“Ah, that is the question, isn't it?” Crap, had he messed up again? Was that the wrong question? “Truthfully, the White Fang is everywhere. In Vacuo. Atlas. Mistral. Even outside the borders. They have recruits all around the world, mister Arc. We don't know where they are.”

Jaune clenched a first, irritation growing in his chest. “Okay... Do you know of any bases of theirs? Did _RWBY_ find any?”

Ozpin’s smile grew even larger, clapping his hand together as he leaned back in his chair. “Ah, yes, I must have forgotten. Terribly sorry, young man. Yes, team RWBY did indeed uncover information about a White Fang hideout, somewhere in the southeast. Unfortunately, that is all we have to go on.”

Jaune didn't think that Ozpin was keeping anything from him this time, so he relaxed his fingers and took a few staff breaths. “Okay...” The leader closed his eyes, thinking over his next question. “Are there any missions that are in the southeast?”

The Headmaster clapped once, smirking slightly as his smile fell. “Ah quite right.  _Search and Destroy_ , if I remember correctly. Due to depart tomorrow if I'm not mistaken. But I'm afraid that this particular mission is off limits to first years, mister Arc. I'm sure you understand, yes?”

Of course it would be off limits. Of course. There had to be some way to get there! Roman Torchwick was hiding somewhere in that area, he could feel it!

“But,” Ozpin interrupted Jaune’s thoughts. “I have a feeling you and your team will find your way there no matter what. So instead of waiting for you to break the rules... Why don't we just bend them?” Before the boy could question the Headmaster, Ozpin pulled out his Scroll and opened it, revealing a list of team names and missions. When he came across Team JNPR’s name, he selected them and assigned the team to Search and Destroy.

“There we are. You may want to get some rest, mister Arc. Your flight leaves early.” That was all Ozpin said before he swiveled his chair around, the back of the chair obscuring Jaune’s view of the man.

“Oh, uh...” Jaune mumbled as he stood. “Thank you, Professor. I won't let you down!” He gave a weak salute as he rushed back to the elevator, departing the office.

“I’m placing a huge gamble on you, mister Arc.” Ozpin muttered to himself after he was alone. “For the sake of everyone in Vale... Please do not fail.”

* * *

“Are you serious, Jaune?” Pyrrha asked in disbelief. “You... You got us signed up? Really?” She, and the other members of JNPR, had been genuinely surprised that Jaune had managed to get their team signed on for the mission- and rightfully so. It wasn't often that a team of first-years were sent on a mission with such high rates of Grimm.

“Totally serious.” The leader replied as he flopped onto his bed. “We leave in the morning. So get some rest, guys.”

He heard Nora give a shout of “Yes, sir!” in a slightly less peppy voice than usual. Ren simply nodded and laid down. Pyrrha, however, was still sitting at the desk in the corner of the room, staring at Jaune.

“Are you sure we can handle this, though?” She asked worriedly. “I read the debriefing and... Jaune, you can't handle that many Grimm.  _None of us_ can! That’s simply too many!”

“Pyr,” Jayne interrupted, sitting up and letting his feet dangle off the side of his mattress. “We’ll be fine. We’ll be shadowing an actual Huntsman tomorrow. There’s no way he’ll let us get hurt. Okay?” Smiling, he lowered his voice to barely above a whisper. “Besides, you think any Grimm could withstand the might of Nora running on a good night’s sleep? And if Ren gets up early to make his pancakes...”

Pyrrha’s eyes widened in mock horror and she placed a hand over her heart. “Don't even  _joke_ like that, Jaune!” The two shared a small laugh, smiling as they gazed into each other’s eyes.

“Good night, Pyr.” Jaune said warmly as he laid back down.

“Good night, Jaune.” Pyrrha smiled as she stood and walked to her bed.

Neither knew what tomorrow would bring, but one thing is certain. They’d do it as a team.

For RWBY.


	5. Arc One: I Burn, Part Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tensions rise on the Apple Farm.

_**Arc One: I Burn** _   
_**Part Three** _

* * *

_Twack._

_Twack._

_Twack._

The steady sounds of her fists colliding with the tree echoed through the orchard, apples falling neatly from the branches and into the baskets below. Yang didn't quite understand how the ponies knew exactly where to place the baskets beforehand, but she wasn't going to question it. Sweat formed on her brow as her punches became slower, each one bringing the last few apples down. Finally, with one final strike, the final fruit fell and landed safely in the wooden container. She had run out of breath much sooner than she anticipated, but she paid that no mind as she moved to the next tree.

Yang wore nothing but her shorts and her yellow tank top, her wrists lacking their usual golden bracelets; she didn't want to kill another tree, after all.

Looking up the front of the trunk, she raised her hands and with a grunt her first strike impacted the bark. Thankfully, she learned rather quickly that even without Ember Celica she could easily do moderate damage to these trees, so she only struck with half of her usual power. And even then she saw the occasional piece of bark go flying.

It didn't help that Macintosh’s words were still fresh in her mind.

Scowling, Yang opened her mouth as she continued punching and apples fell.  _“Stay away from Apple Bloom.”_  She imitated his deep voice, rolling her eyes. “I don't care if he is just looking out for his sister,” she punched a little too hard, causing her first to embed itself into the trunk. “I'm not gonna hurt her, dang it! I’m a sister too!”

Was. Was a sister.

That thought have her pause, her strikes slowing for a brief second before she glared and continued punching with much more vigor. The apples had long since been cleared from this tree, but Yang kept going. She needed to vent.

Her final punch left a sizable hole in the trunk but she didn't particularly care. Macintosh had told her to clear at least twenty trees (he originally wanted her to do fifty, but Applejack had doubts about the human’s strength and endurance. Yang didn't mind either way.) but so far she had only cleared six. And she’d been at this for a good fifteen minutes or so. If she had really wanted to, she could have been halfway done by now, but hey, this gave her something to do.

As she moved to the next tree, her mind began to wander. To her team, specifically. She wondered if Weiss and Blake had survived. Like before, Yang figured that they hadn't. Did they go out fighting? Most likely. Or maybe they won. Maybe they survived, and are currently mourning Ruby and herself. Or maybe they were somewhere in this world as well.

Heh. Like hell they would be. What would be the chances of that? Yang brushed the thought aside, deciding to just get the work over with and find something else to do afterwards. Maybe she could go into that town just down the road.

The day had started off rough for her. True to his word, Macintosh had woken Yang up first thing in the morning, not letting her get any ounce of extra sleep. Breakfast was awkward. Nobody, especially not Yang, really wanted to be the first to speak so they ate in relative silence. The food was nothing more than a few pancakes, which were good, but not as good as Ren’s.

Yang wondered how JNPR was doing. If her guess was correct, and if time worked the same in Equestria as it did in Remnant, the Vytal Festival should be starting soon. Would they be competing in the tournament?

Eh, not like it mattered anyway.

As soon as she was done with breakfast, Macintosh pulled Yang outside and told her to get to punching. So she did. She _wanted_ to give the big red pony a playful punch on his shoulders, but Yang figured that probably wouldn't go over too well.

This new world,  _Equus_. Just being outside made all of its differences from Remnant apparent. The sky was bluer. The clouds seemed fluffier. The grass was greener. It almost looked like a cartoon, really. Pastel ponies, unicorns and pegasi were definitely another factor separating this world from her own.

Overall, this work was nice. Yang didn't like it.

* * *

One final punch knocked the last apple from the last tree, sending it into the wooden basket to be collected later. Drawing in a deep breath and wiping the sweat off of her brow, Yang sighed. Her work for the day was done, so she had the rest of it to do whatever she wanted.

She could go into town. Sweet Apple Acres was a nice farm, no doubt, but she didn't really like the idea of spending her entire time in this world on this farm. Then again, she had no idea how the local populace would react to her. It was obvious that humans weren't really a thing here in Equestria, so that would be a setback.

Then again, there was always that forest just a ways into the orchard. Everfree, Applejack called it.

Yang began walking back to the house, intent on a quick shower before going anywhere. The walk back to the Apples’ house wasn't an eventful one, with only the occasional chirping of the local birds to keep her company.

This new world was odd in the way that it seemed too colorful. Ironic, as she came from a world where people named their kids after colors, but still. Everything was so  _bright._ Even at Beacon, where looking out of the windows treated you to an excellent view of the clear blue skies, Equestria’s sky seemed livelier.

Yang entered the house with little show, briefly looking around to see if any of the Apples were around before heading up to her room. It was small; only containing one bed and a bookshelf, and the entire room was lightened by a single window. Everything in it was tiny- which makes sense, as it was all built for ponies, not humans.

Sighing to herself, Yang flopped onto the tiny bed and closed her eyes. The shower could wait. Right now, the only thing she wanted to do was lay down and rest.

Her resting didn't last for long though. Not long after she had closed her eyes, Yang was jolted awake by a hoof loudly knocking on the door. Groaning, she sat up and addressed the pony knocking, allowing them to enter.

The door swung open to reveal Big Macintosh who walked in with his usual stoic look on his face, though Yang could see that his jaw was tersely set to one side as her glanced her way.

“Hey big guy!” She said with a faux smile. “I was wonderin’ when you were gonna check up on me. I finished the work, if you're wondering.”

The red pony nodded, glancing out of the window and staring that direction for a few seconds. “Y'all seen Apple Bloom ‘round?” He asked stiffly. His voice never changed from his typical deep tone.

Yang rolled her eyes, scoffing at the question. “Uh, no.” She answered obviously. “You told me to stay away from her, remember?” She said the last part with a bit more bitterness than she intended, but she meant what she said. Yang understood why Macintosh wanted her away from his little sister, but that didn't mean Yang had to like being treated like some dangerous animal.

The pony only nodded in her direction before walking out of the room. As he stepped out of the doorway, he stopped and glanced at her briefly. “Lunch’ll be ready soon. Granny’ll come get ya.” And with that Big Mac finally exited the room, closing the door behind him.

Yang sat on the bed silently, a hand resting under her chin. “Granny... Granny Smith?” Her eyes widened in realization and she shot up from the bed. “Is every name in this family an apple pun?”

* * *

True to Mac’s word, Granny Smith did indeed come upstairs to fetch Yang for lunch. Granny was a frail and wrinkled pony who had obviously been around for awhile. She had a bright green coat and golden eyes. Her butt-mark (Yang noted that every pony seemed to have one) was of an apple pie.

“Hello?” Her voice was quite obviously one of an old woman. Yang had been laying on the bed on her stomach, fiddling with the Ember Celica. “Hang?”

At the mispronunciation of her name, Yang looked up from her gauntlets to see the elderly pony peeking through the half open door. “It’s ‘Yang’, actually.” The human corrected, then hastily added “Uh, ma'am.”

Granny Smith rolled her eyes and gave a small smile, stepping into the room. “Now don’t ya start that ‘ma’am’ stuff with me, missy. Ah ain’t that old jus’ yet, ya hear?” The elder laughed, throwing her head back. Yang just smiled politely.

“Anyway, lunch’s done. Y’all come downstairs when yer ready, alright?” Granny Smith said kindly, giving Yang a final smile before backing out of the room, closing the door and leaving the blonde alone yet again. Yang sighed, picked up the two golden gauntlets and collapsed them, putting the bracelets around her wrists.

She began the descent down the staircase for the third time in two days, her heart beating just as fast as the previous two times. Breakfast with the Apples this morning had been pleasant, even if it was pretty awkward, so lunch shouldn’t be too bad, right? Well, that would be put to the test in a few minutes. With one final sigh, Yang walked into the dining room and immediately every pony in the room turned to look at her. Though that wasn’t saying much, considering that only two ponies were in the room. Granny Smith and Applejack.

“Hiya, Yang.” Applejack greeted pleasantly, taking a bite out of her food. “We’ve got some bread, some salad, apples... Dig in!” Yang tried to smile back- really, she did, but the entire ‘being on a different world’ thing still made her a little apprehensive about things. So she silently pulled out a chair at the end of the table and sat down, a plate having already been placed there beforehand.

Taking hold of the sliced piece of bread, Yang munched down and began chewing. Even the bread tasted different here. Everything seemed  _sweeter_. Like the very cartoonish nature of this world was seeping into the food supply. But it tasted good, so she didn’t complain. Audibly, at least. Nothing about this world seemed familiar. At all.

“So, Yang,” Granny began, grabbing her attention. “Tell me about yerself. Me an’ mah grandkids don’t really know much about ya. Where’d ya come from?” A simple question, though one that made Yang’s chest tighten. Was she really ready to talk about home? She could still vividly remember Ruby rushing at Roman... and then the resulting explosion that took her sister away. She could always deny answering the question, but that would seem a little rude...

Swallowing the bread in her mouth, Yang cleared her throat and steadied her breathing. “Uh, well... I come from a world called Remnant. Ma’am.” Simple enough answer, she supposed, though Yang knew that it wouldn’t be enough to stave off further questions. “It’s a bit... er, a lot different than this world.”

The green pony nodded, apparently satisfied with the answer. That or she knew that Yang wasn’t going to elaborate. Either way was fine with the human. Applejack spoke up with a question of her own. “How’re you settlin’ in here, Yang? You feelin’, oh, Ah dunno... Okay?” Of all questions, Yang really was not expecting that one.

In fact, she was so not expecting it that it completely threw her for a loop. Her eyes widened in surprise. “Uh...” She stammered, trying to come up with a good response. “A... Alright, I guess? You ponies have been pretty nice to me so far...” With the exception of Macintosh. “... So I think it’s alright?”

At Yang’s words, Applejack’s gaze hardened, her emerald irises digging into Yang’s lilac. “Ah didn't’ ask if ya felt we were nice, Yang. Ah asked how yer  _doin’_. Are ya feelin’ happy? Do ya like it here? That’s what Ah asked, Yang.” The farmer apparently did not accept half-baked answers like her grandmother did.

For the second time, Yang was left speechless. For the past day she’d been here, Yang never really thought much about her situation. In fact, the only time she really talked about it was when she destroyed that tree, and Big Mac started talking to her...

Shrugging that thought off, the human opened her mouth. “I’m doing alright, Applejack.” Yang ignored the fact that Applejack’s eyes narrowed at that. “Your house is okay, you and your family have been nice to me. I’m dealing with the change. There, happy?” That last part probably came out as a bit too snippy, but eh.

The orange pony looked as if she wanted to object to that, but the front door to the house opened, cutting AJ off. At the sound of hoofsteps entering the house, both Granny and Applejack stood, walking over to the pony, who turned out to be Big Mac, and greeted him.

“Mac,” Granny Smith began as she walked to her grandson. “Yer late. Ya were supposed ta get Apple Bloom from the fields, why’re ya so late?” At her mention of her younger granddaughter, Granny looked behind Macintosh to find... nopony there. “Mac, where’s Apple Bloom?”

Big Mac tilted his head down and grunted. “Ah don’ know.” Everyone’s heart, including Yang’s, dropped at the words. Not only at what they were, but at how they were said. They were slurred, as if Mac was out of it.

Applejack placed a hoof on her brother’s side. “Mac, come on, why don’t’cha sit... down...” She trailed off when she felt something trickle down her foreleg. Glancing down, she saw the limb with a single stream of blood running down it. Her eyes then immediately snapped back to her brother’s side to find her hoof placed directly on a decently sized gash in his flesh.

Both Applejack and Granny Smith gasped in horror and placed their forearms around him, balancing his weight between them as they helped him to a couch in the living room. “How’d this happen, Mac?!” Both ponies exclaimed at the same time.

At this point, Yang had joined the ponies in the living room, with a rag in her hands. She knelt down and placed the rag over Big Macintosh’s wound, which quickly stained the entire white cloth to a deep red. “You need to get to a hospital.” She said, but Mac only shook his head.

“No.” He gasped, trying to sit up despite his sister and grandmother placing their hooves on his chest to stop him. “Gotta get Bloom...” He could barely form words. “Manticores...”

“ _What?!_ ” The other two ponies yelled, making both Yang and Macintosh cringe back at the sound. Applejack immediately put a hoof to her mouth, trying not to shout even more. “... Where?!” She managed, not too loudly but not necessarily quiet.

“Southwest orchard...” Mac slurred, his eyelids drooping closed. “Tried ta get her outta there. One of ‘em took a swipe. Didn’t even notice Ah got hit. Bloom ran... into the Everfree. Gotta get her...”

* * *

_This wasn’t how this was supposed to happen._

_All she had wanted was to avenge Ruby, to kill Torchwick in retaliation for him killing her sister. Maybe fate just hated Yang. Maybe the forces that controlled her life wanted her to die. It didn’t matter anymore anyway._

_Here she was, her Aura depleted and her stamina exhausted, and pinned to the ground by that sadistic mute’s boot. There was nothing more she could do. Blake and Weiss... What had happened to them? That boy, Mercury. He had shown up and started attacking them, leaving Yang to deal with Neo alone._

_Try as she might, Yang just couldn’t escape Neo’s forceful hold on her. This was it. This was how she died. Yang Xiao Long had finally been bested in combat. Yang heard the mute above her unsheath her sword, and the blonde knew that her time was running out._

_Desperately, she tried to move her arm, but the very next second felt excruciating pain as Neo’s blade impaled the limb and pinned it to the ground. Yang screamed as her blood poured out of her arm, the warm substance caking her skin and the ground below her._

_Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. This was it. She’d be joining Ruby soon. That was one consolation at least. She wouldn’t have to wait to see Ruby again for long._

_Yang’s screamed continued, this time in more intensity, as Neo slowly but surely pulled the sword from her arm. The pain was simply too much- Yang felt her consciousness slipping by the second. Or maybe that was her life slipping away. She supposed that it didn’t matter. Either way she wouldn’t be waking up again._

_With a_ pop  _the blade was finally removed, covered in red. Neo smiled, using a gloved finger to wipe some off of her sword. In almost sick fascination the mute watched the blood slowly trickle down her finger and drip onto Yang’s back. With sadistic glee Neo leaned down and wiped Yang’s blood on her own face, smearing it against her cheek with a wide grin._

_The world was black now... Not too long and she’d be gone._

_But then the world came back, bringing with it more pain as Neo dragged the tip of her sword down Yang’s back, splitting the skin as the blonde screamed, writhed and wiggled in a vain attempt to get away. Torture is what this was. Pure, cold torture._

_Neo must have realized a fatal mistake, though. That long of a cut caused Yang to start bleeding tremendously... She’d be dead within a few seconds. Sighing silently, Neo removed her boot from Yang’s body and picked the blonde up by the throat. Yang was too far gone to register Neo’s psychopathic smile as she drove her blade into Yang’s neck._

* * *

Yang snapped back to reality to find that almost no time at all had past while the memories came flooding back to her. That... was the worst pain she had ever experienced. It made her body hurt just thinking about it. So that was it. That was how she had died on Remnant. Didn’t answer how she ended up here, but she was sure she’d answer that question soon enough.

She heard Applejack and Granny Smith trying to piece together a plan. Too bad Yang already had one. She dropped the cloth soaked with Macintosh’s blood to the floor as she stood, clenching her fists as she extended the Ember Celica.

“I’m going after Apple Bloom. Applejack, you get Mac to a hospital.” Was all the human said as she began walking out of the house, but was stopped by something grabbing onto her brown vest, stopping her in her tracks.

“Now hold on there, sugarcube.” Applejack objected. “Ah ain’t lettin’ ya go an’ take on a pack o’ manticores by yerself. Ya see what they did ta Mac here? Y’all could hurt! Or killed!” The farmer stomped a hoof, glaring at the back of Yang’s head. “Ah’m comin’ too.”

“No.” Yang denied firmly. “I’ve dealt with worse before, Applejack. Where I come from, we train from childhood to kill monsters. I know what a manticore is, and if they’re real here, then they’re nothing compared to other things I’ve killed.” She probably sounded cold, but there was  _no way_ Applejack was coming with her. Yang wouldn’t let two sisters die today.

The orange pony blanched at Yang’s words. “Wha...? Yang, yer not makin’ sense! You can’t beat a pack of manticores by yerself! Let me help ya!”

Finally fed up, the human turned, her normally lilac eyes burning a brilliant red. “ _No._  I can do this, Applejack. I’ll bring back Apple Bloom, and I’ll be fine. Watch.” And with that, Yang yanked her vest free of Applejack’s grasp and ran out of the door, heading southwest.

She still had twenty rounds. Twenty shots. Twenty chances to kill a manticore. Applejack had warned Yang about the Everfree, and if that’s where Apple Bloom had run off to... Yang had a sneaking suspicion that she’d need more ammo.

* * *

_**Arc One: I Burn** _   
_**Part Three End** _


	6. Arc One: I Burn, Part Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yang fights to save Apple Bloom.
> 
> Remember, the Gore tag is there for a reason.

_**Arc One: I Burn** _   
_**Part Four** _

* * *

A constant, dull yet irritating headache kept Applejack awake. The hospital had erupted into chaos once she had burst through the front doors with a bleeding pony on her back. Honestly, it was a miracle she even made it to the hospital. Big Mac was a heavy stallion.

There was a constant noise, never stopping and never quieting. Doctors and nurses rushed about from room to room as they prepared to operate on her brother. A nurse had recommended that Applejack get some rest, so that's what the farmer was doing. Trying to rest. But the clatter of the hospital made it nearly impossible to nap.

AJ sat in a chair that was uncomfortable but suitable. To Applejack's right was Granny Smith, who despite all odds had managed to slip into slumber, much to Applejack’s irritation.

“Excuse me, miss?” A mare asked. Applejack turned her head to look at the pony, a nurse with a light pink coat and yellow mane. “Would you like to, um... Clean off?”

The farmer simply stared questioningly, unsure of her meaning. “What do ya mean?” Applejack asked. The nurse coughed lightly, and her eyes held an emotion that the farmer couldn't place.

“You- your back has some... Blood on it.”

Apprehensiveness. That was the emotion in the nurse's eyes. And cranking her head back to look at her shoulders, Applejack could see why. Her normally orange coat was half-drenched in red, right where she had been carrying her brother. “Oh.” Was all Applejack could muster.

“If you'd like, I can show you to the restrooms?” The nurse offered, managing to look away from the red that caked Applejack’s back. She also smiled sweetly, tilting her head to the side.

A sincere smile appeared on Applejack’s lips. “No thanks, sugar cube. Ah need ta be here. Jus’ in case somethin’ happens ta Mac.” Her voice was weary, despite the fact that she had plenty of energy left. “Ah need ta be here.”

“No offense, miss,” the nurse interjected. “But you won't be any good to your brother when you're all dirty and tired. Please, go get cleaned up?” She stepped forward, placing a hoof on Applejack’s shoulder. “I promise, I’ll keep an eye out. If there’s any change, I’ll let you know. Okay?”

“Ah-” The farmer started to object, but closed her mouth and tilted her head down. “... Okay.” She said simply as she started walking to the restrooms. Before she walked too far, Applejack stopped to face the nurse once more. “Thank ya, ma’am.”

The nurse nodded as Applejack began walking again.

* * *

Manticores. A cross between a lion, a bat and a scorpion. And according to Big Mac, there was an entire pack of them waiting for her, with Apple Bloom in harm's way.

As Yang ran, her vision blurred. Her irises had turned completely red, her anger fueling her sprint. She'd save Apple Bloom. Despite the fact that she had been in a coma for a week, her endurance hadn't suffered any. She was just as fast as before, and if she were willing to bet she'd be just as strong.

She wondered what would happen if she used Ember Celica on something without an Aura.

Just ahead, Yang saw them. Three hulking figures with brown coats, red manes and bat-like wings on their backs. They were growling and snarling at something in the center of the circle they had formed... And it didn't take a genius to figure out that their victim was Apple Bloom.

Yang should have stopped running and assessed the situation. She should have waited for an opportune time to strike. That's what a tempered person would have done. But no one ever said that Yang Xiao Long was a tempered person.

With a snarl of pure, unadulterated rage, Yang pushed her legs to carry her faster than ever before as she pointed her gauntlets behind herself. She had twenty shots. She’d need to be careful. With a  _crack_ the Ember Celica’s left gauntlet fired, propelling its owner forward and into the air slightly.

Nineteen shots left.

Yang twisted, spinning her body around as she soared towards one of the manticores as the animal lifted a law to strike Apple Bloom. Yang screamed in absolute fury, rearing back a fist just as her body came within arms reach of them.

On Remnant, people had Aura which protected them from most deadly attacks. Even the Grimm, who did not have Aura, possessed durable bodies that allowed them to keep up with even the robust Huntsmen. On Equus, Aura did not exist and the creatures were much more fragile.

Yang didn't even need to waste a shot to do significant damage. The speed her body was traveling, plus the fact that the Ember Celica was made out of very durable,  _very hard_  steel made for a perfect storm. The manticore’s skull nearly caved in from the force of the impact, its bones cracking with a sick  _crunch_. Yang ignored her shock and disgust as the manticore’s blood was now speckled across her gauntlet and face.

The manticore growled in agony, stumbling to the side as Yang brought her feet up to the side of the creature’s head, pushing and propelling herself away. She landed on the ground just as the first manticore managed to recover somewhat, regaining its footing though one eye was caked with blood, forcing it shut. Yang smiled to herself. This may just be easier than she thought.

The other two members of the pack roared at the human, slowly stalking forward as their stingers inched above their heads. The injured manticore opted to stay behind for the moment. Good for him.

The manticore on the left snarled and leaped forward, taking a wild swipe at Yang who crouched and rolled to the side. She immediately jumped to her feet, launching a blast from her gauntlet towards the beast. The explosion impacted the manticore with enough force to knock it over on it's side, a gaping hole in it's body. Blood poured and intestines hung out, but the creature stood albeit weakly.

Eighteen shots left.

Yang's eyes briefly widened when the injured manticore stood, being much more durable than she judged. Even with it losing blood fast and it's innards clearly visible, it still managed to stand and growl at her. If there was anything Yang liked in a man, its persistence, but even that can get annoying after a while.

“What, you want some more?!” She shouted in a fit in rage. “Come get some!” The uninjured manticore let out a fearsome roar as it charged forward, it's paws digging into the ground as it ran. Yang frowned and began sprinting, rushing to meet it halfway. The beast licked it's lips and leaped, paws extended forward with it's claws pointing directly at her.

Yang threw her legs out, falling to the ground and sliding under the manticore, who sailed right over her head. She then kicked up and sprang to her feet with the intent of blasting the thing away... But completely forgot about the manticore’s stinger. The beast brought his tail swinging back, the sharp tip colliding with Yang and clashing against her Aura, The blow caught her off guard and knocked the air out of her lungs as she was sent tumbling forward.

Another growl was her only warning of another attack- and the most she could do was raise an arm in a pathetic attempt of defence. One of the other manticores pounced on her, using one paw to pin her to the ground. Yang struggled and wiggled trying to break free, but to no avail. The manticore’s claws dug into her skin, inflicting a dull pain in her abdomen. Growling, Yang lifted an arm and was about to fire off a blast, but another of the manticore’s paws swiped her across the face. She grunted as the claws caught one of her eyes, but thankfully did no damage thanks to her Aura.

“Now you’re just pissing me off!” She exclaimed angrily as she curled up her knees, lifted them and placed them firmly on the manticore’s stomach. Then she used as much force as she could muster to push the monster off of her, flipping backwards as the manticore yelled as it crashed to the ground in a giant heap. Yang came to a stop on one knee, though she quickly jumped up and saw the other two manticores rushing her.

“Uh-oh.” Bracing herself, Yang closed her eyes and awaited the impact

One manticore slammed into her, sending her rolling along the ground until she hit a tree. Her head bounced against the bark, causing her vision to go white for a split second. “Ow...”

Her head throbbed slightly, a slice of her Aura having been sliced away with the beast’s attacks. Their claws and stingers failed to even scratch her skin- but Yang knew that wouldn't last if this kept up. Snarling, she clenched her fists and fired one shot at the ground, launching her forward.

Seventeen shots left.

One fist impacted a manticore’s face with tremendous force, and like before its bones were like tissue paper as the gauntlet’s steel broke the monster’s face. More blood splattered onto Yang, who ignored it and brought her other fist crashing into the red blob that was once a face. The manticore thrashed and snarled, but failed to shake off the human.

Firmly grabbing handfuls of fur, Yang pulled and pulled, slowly but surely ripping the manticore’s skin off its face. Then yellow steel rammed into the skull again and again, the bones caving and muscles tearing as Yang's gauntlet impacted it repeatedly.

A single shot from Ember Celica was enough to completely shatter the creature’s head, sending blood and brains everywhere. Yang’s hair had bits of flesh in it, speckled with red that also dirtied her clothes and weapon.

Sixteen shots left, and two manticores to go.

Yang pushed herself away from the falling corpse, landing on her feet. The manticore’s body crumpled in a bloody heap, causing the other two to stare at it in what Yang could only assume was a mixture of shock and anger.

Glancing over, she saw that Apple Bloom was still there, cowering in fear as she held her legs against herself as she trembled. “Apple Bloom!” Yang called, grabbing the foal’s attention. “Run!”

It took a second for Yang's words to register, but when they did Apple Bloom’s eyes widened as if she were only just now recognizing the danger she was in. Scrambling to her hooves, the pony quickly darted away... But towards the Everfree Forest. Apple Bloom disappeared beyond the thick treeline.

“Uh-oh.” Yang mumbled as she glanced back at the manticores, who were slowly stalking towards her with their tails raised as they growled.

* * *

“Applejack?”

The familiar voice knocked the farm pony out of her sleep, eyes snapping open to reveal her emerald irises. Applejack’s eyelids were heavy, weary, and refused to open more than halfway, but it was enough to see who stood before her.

Her friend, Princess Twilight Sparkle. The purple alicorn stood with worry on her face, a hoof slightly raised as if to reach out to her friend. “I rushed over as soon as I could.” Twilight assured her. “I would have been here sooner, but something came up... I'm sorry, Applejack.”

“Ain't nothin’ to be sorry for, Twi.” Applejack said as she slowly stood, careful not to wake up her grandmother who slept just to the side of her. “Ah understand that bein’ a princess can get ya busy sometimes.”

Twilight shook her head. “No, Applejack, it wasn't-” she cut herself off, biting her tongue to keep herself from talking anymore. Sighing to herself, the princess looked at Applejack with unreadable eyes. A small smile crossed her lips. “Doctor Stable told me that Big Mac is going to be fine. He had to get a lot of stitches, and he _definitely_  won't be doing any apple bucking any time soon. But he's okay, Applejack.”

The orange pony visibly deflated with a relieved sigh, her muscles finally relaxing as she hung her head low. “Thank Celestia...” Applejack muttered. “Ah was afraid that Ah didn’t... That Ah didn't get here in time.” Her emerald eyes locked with Twilight’s lavender ones as she lifted her head. “He lost so much blood, Twi. And all because-” suddenly, Applejack’s breath hitched in her throat, her eyes widening in fear. “Apple Bloom!”

Twilight furrowed her brow, reaching out a hoof to stop her friend from rushing away. “Applejack, settle down! What about Apple Bloom?” She asked, concern filling her voice.

“She’s in trouble! Manticores cornered her in tha orchards! Mac got hurt helpin’ her! Ah gotta find her!” Twilight’s body blocked the way to the exit, and her foreleg kept Applejack from pushing past the princess. “Let me go! Ah need ta help her!”

“Applejack, please, stop!”

“No! Ah need ta rescue her!”

Suddenly, Twilight’s horn flared causing magic to encase the apple farmer in a lavender aura, preventing her from moving. “Applejack,  _sit_.” The magic forced Applejack back into her chair, despite her visibly trying to break free of her magical ensnarement. “You are in no condition to go anywhere, much less take on a pack of manticores. Stay here,  _rest_ , and I’ll set up a party to rescue her. Okay?”

Applejack struggled futilely against the magic, still trying to resist. “B-But Ah-”

“No, Applejack! If you go now, you won’t be able to help Apple Bloom. Please, AJ, trust me.” The alicorn’s eyes turned from a hard glare into a soft, pleading gaze. Her lavender eyes met Applejack’s emerald, and the farmer’s struggles immediately ceased. Applejack closed her eyes, sighed and lowered her head.

“Alright, Twi. Ah trust ya.”

* * *

“Oof!”

Another claw found its way across Yang’s face, knocking her to the ground just before the manticore leapt forward, grabbing her and slamming the human into the ground. These two did  _not_ like the fact that Yang had just killed their friend.

She had taken a few good hits- and these manticores could hit  _hard_. She already felt her Aura taking a significant dive as the beast on top of her opened its maw and closed its jaws around her head, biting into Yang with all of its strength.

The manticore’s mouth was  _repulsive_. Smelly, wet and the teeth hurt like a bitch against her neck. Growling in frustration and in pain, Yang lifted an arm and punched the manticore’s face, breaking nearly all of its teeth and its lower jaw. The monster yowled in pain as Yang quickly moved away, her stomach about to lose its contents due to the smell of the manticore’s mouth still lingering in her nostrils.

“I’ve seen some disgusting things,” She began as she cocked Ember Celica. “But you guys are probably at the top of the list.” As the other manticore held its jaw in pain, the other charged at Yang with its stinger pointed directly at her.

“Bring it.”

With only fifteen shots left, Yang could not afford to waste any more time. Sprinting toward the beast, Yang leapt into the air and twisted so that her feet pointed directly to the manticore’s face. The two collided, Yang’s feet impacting their intended target and earning a surprised yelp from the monster. Before Yang could follow up on that, though, she felt the tail of the stinger wrap around her midsection, trapping her arms at her sides unable to wiggle out.

“Whoa!” Yang exclaimed as the manticore used its tail to bash her into the ground, leaving a Yang-sized hole in the ground. It then lifted her yet again into the air. Yang’s vision blurred as the manticore swung her body through the air, loosening its tail’s grip on the human and letting Yang soar uncontrollably through the air and directly into a tree.

Even with her Aura, she felt  _that_.

“Ouch...”

As Yang sat at the base of the tree, pain rocking through her skull and the manticores slowly advancing towards her, two thoughts ran through her mind. First was the fact that the tree  _really fucking hurt_. The second was that her chest burned. Not in the bad way- but in a good way. With each hit, the burning became stronger. The flame inside her raged hotter. In her time on Equus, that flame had been flickering, threatening to die at any moment... But now it was an inferno.

The pain brought burning. As her Aura fell, she climbed. As the phoenix died she rose through the ashes.

[She burned.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9mQTmXxU8E)

With a deafening roar, Yang stood and slammed her fists together. Her beautiful golden hair erupted into a spectacular blaze, the orange and yellow dancing together as Yang’s now red eyes burned with a fiery intensity. She allowed herself a small smirk- after all, this fight was over.

To an outsider, the next few seconds would appear to be nothing but a yellow blur. To the manticores, time seemed to slow as their would-be prey suddenly erupted into flames and charged at them. With a yell of pure rage Yang brought a fist over and rammed it into one of the manticore’s sides.

The beast barely had time to whimper as its life ended in an explosion of blood and guts, showering the immediate area in red. Yang didn’t bother to care that her hair was now filthy and instead focused all of her rage on the final manticore. Wiping some blood off of her face, Yang jumped at the final beast, who simply stared at her in wide-eyed shock, and began pounding away at its face.

One hit broke the bones. The next caved in its skull. The next killed it, destroying the brain as blood leaked through its eyes, ears and nose. The next hit, and the next, and the next, were completely overkill. Blood showered down to the ground and Yang pounded and pounded her fists into the manticore.

“Die! Die! Die! Die!”

Yang figured that it was probably already dead- but things with Aura didn’t die so easily. And there was one person she would have preferred to be on the receiving end of this beatdown. The man who killed her sister. In the place of the manticore’s beaten and bloody stump that was once a head, Yang imagined Roman Torchwick screaming in agony as retribution for taking Ruby away. Yang knew it was a fantasy. But she didn’t care.

It wasn’t until the corpse of the manticore fell over did Yang stop her fists from flying. She rolled on the ground, ending up on her side, and took several shaky breaths. Her chest heaved up and down as the quick breaths did nothing to calm her. The blood was everywhere. Never in her entire life had she seen so much red. She was drenched in it - _her hair was drenched in it_ \- and that only caused her breathing to quicken even further.

Yang slowly stood with her legs shaking, her eyes having faded back into lilac. She looked around at the carnage around her: body parts, blood and guts... This kind of stuff never happened back on Remnant; Grimm didn’t leave behind bodies. They didn’t have blood, or intestines. The Grimm were mindless beasts. The manticores could think. A bit of blood dripped from a stray strand of hair, dropping past Yang’s eyes before splattering to the ground. She simply gulped and turned towards the Everfree.

* * *

**_Arc One: I Burn_ **   
**_Part Four End_ **


	7. Arc One: I Burn, Part Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yang encounters something in the Forest.

_**Arc One: I Burn** _   
_**Part Five** _

* * *

The ceiling was boring.

Weird thought to have after waking up from surgery, but it was true. Doctors had checked in, nurses were constantly asking questions, and each time he opened his mouth one thing came to mind: “The ceiling is boring.”

Out on the fields, Mac always had something to look at. The way each blade of grass differed from the last, or the way the leaves fluttered in the wind; his mind was never bored. But with this ceiling - it was plain white tiles, with each one being the same as the last. The walls were boring too, though Mac couldn’t see those without turning his head.

So he found himself looking at the ceiling more often than not. With nothing else to look at, it was all he could do. The stitches in his side did not bother him - the numbness had yet to fully wear off and so he was more bothered by half of his body being unable to move. If anything, what bothered him most was the fact that he would be unable to help out on the farm for the foreseeable future.

With a flat stare, Big Mac continued to gaze at the ceiling. He had long come to peace with his situation; hours of nothing gave a pony much time to think. Apple Bloom was obviously missing - she hadn’t been by to see him and Twilight failed to mention anything about her. But Yang had dashed off to save her...

He was no fool. He knew that Yang was some kind of fighter. Her physique was one of an athlete and he had seen those golden bracelets of hers turn into gauntlets. Whatever kind of world she was from, she had been trained to handle things more dangerous than manticores. He didn’t know how to feel about that human being around his family.

With nothing better to do, Big Macintosh closed his eyes and let sleep overtake him. He did not dream.

* * *

Running through the forest was a relatively simple task. Just stay on the path and you would be fine. At least, that's what Applejack had always told her, and it worked out well so far. So why would this time be any different?

Well, usually she wasn't running through the forest for dear life. Her small legs carried her as fast as they could as her lungs burned and her chest heaved. Of course she made sure to stay on the path. But was she truly safe, anyway?

Would Yang come for her?

Apple Bloom had never seen violence like that. Had never seen that much blood, or that crazed look in Yang's eyes... The human’s lilac pupils that occasionally shifted to red... They looked terrifying when their whites are as wide as dinner plates and the pupils as small a pinpricks, along with the angry frown and speckles of blood littered on her skin.

Heck, she could feel some of the manticores’ blood drying on her coat. Being in the middle of that battle hadn't been a pleasant experience. And she was glad she hadn't stuck around to see the end of it. Judging by the absence of  _cracks_ or explosions, Yang had either won or died trying to protect her.

Apple Bloom didn't know which outcome scared her the most.

Was Yang dangerous? One part of her said that she was. That, if pushed far enough, she'd do to the ponies of Ponyville what she did to the monsters. The other part said that she wasn't. That Yang had only been that brutal to protect her.

Again, Apple Bloom didn't know what to think.

Far behind her, she heard the growls of more monsters. Not Manticores, but something else. Luckily it sounded like she wasn't anywhere close to them. Then a second later, she heard the  _crack_  of Yang's weapons and the terrifying sound of the alien’s scream of rage. Apple Bloom began running faster.

It shouldn't be much farther.

* * *

The Everfree looked strange.

In a stark contrast to Sweet Apple Acres’ wide open fields, the forest was compact. Each tree stood too close to the others, their trunks practically tumbling over one another as they pointed skyward. The canopy of dark leaves blocked almost all sunlight from reaching the ground, and even the animal noises of the forest were different. Outside you could hear birds chirping and the occasional dog bark, but in the forest all that was heard were growls and snarls of vicious monsters.

Yang walked slowly, feeling the fallen twigs and leaves crunch under her feet as she stared forward blankly. The blood that covered her had long since dried, leaving clumps of hair bound together and bits of her clothes stained badly. The substance clung to her skin, cracking with the slightest twitch.

Yang blinked and slowly looked around, absorbing her surroundings. She had strayed from the path awhile ago. Not intentionally, but walking in a daze was bound to get you lost. Sighing exasperatedly, she scanned the area for any familiar landmarks, but found none.

“Great.” She said to herself. “Just great.”

She was lost.

She clenched her fists, an uneasy feeling washing over her. Slowly walking forward, Yang shot a glance behind herself. She heard some rustling coming from somewhere, and figured that was her cue to leave. Yang began walking again, ignoring the way the dried blood felt against her skin.

This forest gave her the creeps. Despite being daytime the copious amounts of leaves shielded most sunlight from making it to the ground, leaving the Everfree clouded in a strange darkness that loomed over everything. No matter where she looked, everything was so similar and so alike, Yang couldn't even tell if she was walking in circles or not.

Slowly letting out a breath, the Huntress closed her eyes and with a brief shimmer her Aura dropped. She wasn't in any  _immediate_ danger anyway. If anything attacked she could always flare her shield up again. Besides, Yang was pretty sure that the sounds of her skirmish with the manticores would have scared off any more monsters.

Probably.

Yang let her shoulders sag, uncurling her fists as she retracted the Ember Celica into bracelets. Her head felt light and her vision swam – she was getting tired. Her fight with the manticores took more out of her than she expected. Just to her right Yang noticed a tree that connected with the dirt in such a way that allowed for a moderately comfortable place to rest, if only for a little while.

Shrugging, she dragged her feet over to the tree and dropped onto her behind, resting her back against the bark. Yang’s eyes felt heavy. Slowly her eyelids began to drop, and her vision turned dark.

Yang never noticed the dart protruding from her arm.

* * *

He hated having his naps interrupted.

Whatever the heck was going on out in the forest, it was keeping him awake. Explosions and yells were sounding, each one louder than the last. He would have gone to check and see what they were, but he was simply too tired to bother. So he sent Sunbeam — one of his veteran hunters — to do it.

His body turned up a few hours ago.

This line of work wasn't easy — lots of things could go wrong. A creature could get loose and shred you to pieces. You could take a wrong step and end up losing your hoof. Or the authorities could find out. But that all comes with the territory of being a poacher. It may be dangerous, but you'd be surprised how much someone will pay for a monster or its skin.

Which was why he was absolutely _livid_ and needed a nap. Something was in the forest, killing manticores. The same pack that his group had been tracking all week! All that work, wasted. And he didn’t like wasted work.

Culus opened his eyes and lifted a hoof to his face, using it to push his dull green mane out of his grey eyes. With a groan he stood, climbing to his hooves with a slight wobble. His joints popped as he moved, his limbs stiff.

Just as he was about to exit the tent, the flap opened, revealing another stallion whose name he couldn't remember. This other stallion was one of the new recruits — one that was used to collect the spoils of the hunt rather than participating in the hunt itself. “Sir!” The rookie addressed Culus with a terrified tone in his voice. “W-we got it!”  
‘  
Culus lifted an eyebrow. “Gonna have to be a bit more specific, rookie,” He cut himself off with a yawn. “Got a lotta hunts goin’ on right now.” The Everfree, while dangerous, was rich with wildlife that went for hefty prices. “So, what didja catch?”

“ _It,_ sir! Wh-whatever killed Sunbeam!”

Now  _that_ caught his attention. “You’re sure?” Culus asked, and the rookie nodded quickly. A relieved smile spread across Culus’s lips and he let out a brief sigh. “Good. No more of my ponies have to die, then. Take me to it.”

“Yes, sir!” The rookie straightened his body and saluted, exiting the tent and pointing a hoof to his left. “We’re keeping it chained up in there,” Culus exited the tent and looked in the direction the rookie was pointing at. The only thing in that area was a small tent that was used to store the fruits of the hunts until the group were ready to sell.

“Chained?” Culus asked.

“Yes sir. We tied it to a post we stuck in the ground. Grapevine and Viper Bite are watching it.”

“And you’re sure it won’t escape?”

“Fairly sure. It seemed weak after it killed the manticores and walking through the forest for hours... plus we tranquilized it.” As they walked, the rookie lowered his gaze and furrowed his brow. “Whatever it is, I ain’t ever seen anything like it. You know that crazy mare in Ponyville? The one that sits weird?”

Culus acquainted his face with his hoof at the thought of the mare. “Yes, I remember her.”

“It looks like those things that she always mentioned.”

The lead hunter let out a frustrated breath and closed his eyes as the two came to a stop in front of the tent. “I don’t care. I’ll take care of it. Have everyone on their highest guard and keep a lookout for anything that might fetch a good haul. We lost a lot of bits with those manticores.” Culus stepped forward, lifting a hoof and grasping a flap of the tent. Suddenly he stopped and turned back to the rookie. “What about that filly? How is she doing?”

The rookie shrugged. “I dunno. Haven’t checked up on her. You’d have to ask Tunny.”

Culus nodded, casting his gaze downward. “Keep our medics on her. She had quite a bit of blood on her.”

With that, he stepped into the tent and faced the creature.

* * *

The first thing that Yang noticed was that she was tired.

Not tired in the “Why am I up this early?” kind of tired. No, tired in the way that her limbs refused to move and ached with every little twitch. Her head was pounding and her eyes refused to focus. She could feel grass beneath her knees and she could also tell that she was kneeling, only being suspended by her arms being chained to something behind her.

Yang blinked one, two, three times, and each time her eyes seemed to become more crosseyed. “What the fuck...?” She mumbled, though barely audible or comprehensible. She tried to call out for Apple Bloom, but instead found herself choking on her own dry throat.

“It’s awake,” a voice said. Whoever it belonged to was a stallion, and had a gruff voice that immediately told Yang that he was not friendly. “Where’s the boss?” Oh good, a boss. That meant that wherever she was, it was no doubt housing tons of ponies who probably did not like her very much.

Joy.

“We sent Donut to get him a few minutes ago.” Another voice responded. “Culus was probably napping. He’ll be here soon.” So Culus was the boss’s name. Yang kept her eyes half-closed, mostly because they had failed to focus even now. Obviously she had been drugged. But what the hell kind of drug did they hit her with that caused her to be  _this_ out of it? She couldn’t even put up her Aura...

“Hello, boys,” a new voice interrupted her thoughts as they stepped closer. By the sounds of the flap opening and closing, Yang figured that she was inside a tent. “How is it doing?” They were calling her  _it_?

The words almost seemed to slip out of her mouth. “Well, you folks sure know how to make a girl feel special!” Realizing that she just spoke aloud, Yang’s eyes opened and she shot her head up. A few strands of her blonde hair fell in front of her eyes, but she was able to get a good look at the three stallions regardless.

Two of them stood off to either side of the one in the middle. The one on the left was a dark shade of blue with a brighter mane and tail. His eyes were an emerald green and his cutie mark was a rainbow behind two stormclouds. The one on the left was a plain brown with a mane and tail a lighter shade. His eyes were orange, but Yang couldn’t see his cutie mark from her position.

The one in the middle - seemingly the leader - stepped forward before Yang could analyze him. From the look on his face it seemed that her outburst had surprised him, albeit he hid his surprise very well. “So,” he began, placing a hoof on the underside of Yang’s chin so that she looked directly into his grey eyes. “You can speak.”

Yang frowned. “Seems that way.” For bad guys, these ponies looked rather plain. For how cartoony this world seemed, Yang figured the evil ponies would be more evil-looking. “So, uh, you mind letting me go? I kinda got somebody to find.” Despite the drug wearing off, Yang still slurred her words slightly, irritating her.

The leader shook his head and took a small step backwards. “Hm. You talk like an intelligent creature.” Yang could hear the disappointment in his voice, but it didn’t lose its rough edge. Yang’s heart felt like it wanted to leap out of her chest. This was in no way a good position for her to be in without her Aura. But she just couldn’t get it up.

“Does that matter? Not used to chaining up things that can talk back?” She spoke tauntingly. “Because oh boy, can I talk.” Probably not a good idea to irritate the ones holding you captive, but at this point it was Yang’s only ammunition.

Other than her  _literal_ ammunition, but she would prefer not to use it on something that could think and didn't have Aura.

The leader scoffed, turning away. “Looks that way.” He shifted his gaze to the blue pony, his eyes hardening. “You, keep guard from outside the tent. I don’t want anypony else coming in. You,” he then turned to the brown pony. “Get Stormy to patrol the edges of the forest. I don’t want anymore surprises.”

Two cries of “Yes, sir!” sounded and the two guards exited the tent. Yang took the opportunity to look around her prison. It was small, only housing one other thing other than herself. It was a bunch of crates, all stacked off to the side and covered with a yellow tarp. She took a breath and noticed the smell - blood. More of it.

She hadn’t noticed the leader walking towards her yet again. “So, blondie,” Even her nickname followed her into this world. “Got a name? I like to be personal when I get my hooves dirty.” Yang smirked, her mouth acting as if it had a mind of its own.

“You’re gonna get dirty with me, boy?” She waggled her eyebrows and winked. “At least buy me dinner first!” She gave a small chuckle, but trailed off as the leader glared at her. His grey eyes, despite not showing any emotion, were intimidating. “Name’s Yang.” She said quickly.

“Hmph. Yang.” He repeated her name, as if testing it against his tongue. “My name is Culus. I’m the leader of this group.”

Yang struggled against the chains that bound her hands, but without her Aura all that served was to drag the metal painfully across her skin. Grimacing slightly, Yang spoke. “Well, Culus...” She said gravely, keeping her voice low. “You  _really_ don’t want to mess with me.”

Culus scoffed, taking one step back and smirking. “I could say the same thing. Tell me, Yang, have you ever lost someone?” Again, that damn question. What was it with ponies and asking her about her sister?

“Why the hell should I tell you?” Yang answered with venom in her voice as she glared daggers.

“So, yes, then. One more question: have you ever faced the person that took your loved one away?” Yang did  _not_ like the way he stared at her as he said that. As silence hung in the air, the pony and the human never lost eye contact, both of them glaring. If looks could kill...

When Yang failed to answer, Culus continued. “You see Yang, this little group I run? We care for each other. We’re a family. A  _team_. When the world turned its back on us, we had each other. My ponies may be outcasts of society, we may be criminals, but do not think for a second we wouldn’t die for each other. You’d know that well, considering you killed Sunbeam.”

“Wha-”

Yang never got the chance to continue, as Culus suddenly leaped forward and threw his hoof at her. It connected with a violent smack against her cheek, sending her spiraling backwards and to the ground. She just barely missed landing on the pole in the ground that her chains were locked to.

Yang groaned, her face burning with pain. Hooves fucking  _hurt_. She wiggled around, picking herself up without the use of her hands.

As she slowly rose off the ground, Culus breathed hard, his hoof barely touching the ground as he stood. “You don’t  _get_ to ask questions here!” He yelled, his rough voice cracking slightly. “His body was in  _tatters_! And  _you_ , Yang, have just the weapons capable of doing that!” He gestured to her wrists, the golden bracelets barely above the silver chains. “You don’t get to kill my ponies - my  _friends_  - and then say you don’t know them. They don’t deserve that.

“I’m not evil, Yang.” He stepped forward and then brought another hoof down on Yang’s side, sending her back to the ground and knocking the breath out of her lungs. “I’m just  _pissed_.”

* * *

_**Arc One: I Burn** _   
_**Part Five End** _


	8. Arc One: I Burn, Part Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yang struggles against her captors and Apple Bloom comes to terms with what she has seen.

_**Arc One: I Burn  
 _ **Part Six**_** _

* * *

Apple Bloom awoke with a shriek of terror.

Her eyes snapped open and as she screamed, she sat upright in the unfamiliar bed. Almost immediately, some stallions that she did not know tried to pin her down, to get her laying again, only adding to her fear. She wanted to call out for her sister, for her brother or even for Yang, but her breathing interrupted her words. He chest rose and fell quickly - far too quickly. Apple Bloom soon felt herself hyperventilating. Her head became dizzy and her vision swam.

“Please,” a stallion begged. “Please stay down.”

His voice was not one of a bad stallion. He sounded nice, sincere, and the calm tone of his voice helped calm Apple Bloom. Her breathing soothed, and though she did not lay down she did stop moving.

The stallion sighed, relieved, and smiled at her. She scooted away. Apple Bloom noticed that she wasn’t on an actual bed - rather she was in a sleeping bag that had been placed on the ground. She also noticed that she was in a tent. A rather large one, too. It was big enough to hold herself, the stallion talking to her, and three other ponies. One mare and two stallions.

The first stallion tried to place a hoof on her shoulder, but seeing her uneasy look he backed off. “It’s okay.” He assured her, a soft look in his eyes. “You’re safe here.” The stallion pointed at the other one and motioned for him to move out of the tent, which he did, and left Apple Bloom alone with the first stallion and the mare.

"My name is Tunny.” He informed her as the mare joined him at the sleeping bag’s side. “This mare here is my sister, Rainy Day.” When Tunny said her name, the mare waved at Apple Bloom with a warm smile. Tunny continued. “What’s your name?”

Apple Bloom gulped and took in a deep breath. “A-Apple Bloom.” She looked between the stallion and the mare. Both were a light blue color, though the mare, Rainy Day, was brighter in shade. The stallion, Tunny, had a mane and tail that was so light it was almost white, though with a slight green tint. The mare, however, had a deep blue colored mane and tail. Both of their eyes were a seafoam green. Tunny’s cutie mark was a half-open can of tuna, while Rainy Day’s was a sun behind a grey cloud.

Rainy Day’s smile never faded, and she wrapped a foreleg around Tunny. “Nice to meet you, Apple Bloom!”

The filly eyed them wearily, cautiously looking around the tent for a possible escape route. Tunny noticed her discomfort and grabbed his sister, dragging her back with him as he stepped away a little more. “We found you in the forest,” he explained. “You must have passed out or something. You weren’t hurt, but you had... quite a bit of blood on you.”

Apple Bloom’s eyes went wide; memories of the manticores flooding back to her. Her breathing picked up again, but she tried to calm herself down by laboring her breaths. “Ah...” She tried to speak, but words failed her.

Rainy Day stepped forward but did not touch her. “You weren’t hurt,” she began. “But you were exhausted. We brought you back here and once we know it's safe in the forest, we’ll bring you to the hospital.”

Apple Bloom simply nodded, looking herself over and slowly laid back down. She blinked, never looking away from the tent ceiling.

“We’ll let you get some rest.” Tunny and Rainy Day then turned and exited the tent, leaving Apple Bloom alone.

* * *

Another blow to her face sent Yang back to the ground. Pain seared through all parts of her body. She didn’t want to get back up - it would do nothing to aid her. No matter if she stayed on the ground or picked herself up, Culus would simply keep beating her.

With a groan of pain, Yang again rose from the grass, blood streaming down from a cut on her forehead and her broken nose. Bruises appeared on her face in several areas and her eyes were swollen and purple. Yang could hardly see, but as she picked herself up she made sure to glare at Culus, who simply stared at her with a cold, blank expression.

“Still getting up?” He asked, moving to Yang’s side. Her gaze followed him as he moved. He limped slightly, his hooves aching after striking Yang so many times. Culus paid it no heed, however, and kept talking. “You’re much more stubborn than I anticipated. Most ponies that I get personal with break not long after we get started.”

Yang spat some blood out of her mouth and forced a chuckle. “Well, I’m not a pony.”

Culus scoffed. “Obviously. I don’t expect you to break like one. But you certainly will die like one.”

Yang didn’t reply, simply settling for a low growl. She took pleasure in seeing Culus back away ever so slightly. The poacher shook his head, pacing around the tent. “Don’t try to scare me off. We both know that this ends one of two ways, and you’re at an obvious disadvantage.”

It was Yang’s turn to scoff. “That’s what you think, man.” True, she had taken many hits, but she’d faced things ten times more dangerous than this pony. As soon as her Aura came back, she’d make her escape. That is, if her Aura came back at all.

She had a plan in case that happened. Without her Aura, though, she’d have to be a lot more careful out in the forest. Culus walked to the flap of the tent, raising it and whispering a few words to the pony stationed outside. Yang couldn’t make out what was said, but the guard moved away and Culus exited the tent, giving Yang one last mocking glance before disappearing.

The human sighed.

Blood dripped from her face and onto the ground. Now in addition to the dried blood of the manticores, she now had her own blood caking on her body. Part of her welcomed the pain. Pain was proof that she still lived, proof that something had kept her heart beating even after her death on Remnant. But another part of her wanted the pain to leave. Wanted the pain to overtake her and kill her a second time. Maybe if she died here, she’d see Ruby again.

But Yang Xiao Long was no quitter. Her pride was simply too strong to allow her to roll over and die. She was a Huntress, dammit. A Huntress in training, yes, but a Huntress nonetheless. And she would  _not_ let a fucking  _horse_ be the end of her.

She let out a quiet groan as she tugged at the chains binding her hands. The metal dug into her skin, and without her Aura this only served to redden her wrists and send pain shooting through them. Yang cursed under her breath and stopped struggling.

It was becoming increasingly clear to her what she had to do.

She still had Ember Celica. She still had fourteen shots left. And while she wanted to use one shot right now to bust the chains and escape, all that would accomplish would be blowing herself up. Yang gave a final half-hearted tug at the chain, wincing at the sharp pain as her skin tore slightly.

She could hear ponies talking outside. She didn’t know what about, nor did she really care. But she heard them laugh - not an evil ‘we’re going to kill this creature’ laugh, but instead a laugh shared between two friends. She glowered at the ground, her resolve waning. She couldn’t kill them. She  _wouldn’t_. But if they gave her no choice...

Yang sighed. Hopefully her Aura came back soon, otherwise she’d never even get the chance to choose.

Since she sat with nothing but the pain to keep her mind occupied, Yang wondered what she would do when her Aura returned. She could imagine Culus’s face as he went to strike her... Only for his hoof to stop dead against her face. He would try again and again, only for a blast from Ember Celica to send him flying backwards and set Yang free...

Deciding to abandon that train of thought, Yang sighed again. She still needed to find Apple Bloom. Hopefully she could be out looking soon.

* * *

Apple Bloom knew that she wasn’t truly alone.

The walls of the tent were not very thick. Despite the trees of the Everfree blocking out most of the sun, she could faintly see the silhouettes of two ponies, standing outside the flap. They were no doubt standing watch, making sure she didn’t try to escape. Or maybe to make sure nopony came in. Apple Bloom didn’t know who these ponies were, but they seemed nice enough.

Slowly, Apple Bloom stood and sighed. She heard the tent’s flap open and close as a set of hoofsteps walked in. She turned to face the pony. His grey eyes stared at her as she backed away in slight surprise. She wasn’t expecting anypony to come in.

“Hello,” the stallion said kindly, sitting on the ground. “My name is Culus.”

The filly gulped. “Hi... Ah’m Apple Bloom...”

Culus smiled widely, though this only caused Apple Bloom to take a small step back. Culus’s face tightened ever so slightly, though he kept his smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Apple Bloom. I’m the leader of this here group.” Her breath caught in her throat - this stallion was the leader? Why did the leader want to see her?

Culus continued. “I see that you’re afraid.”

Apple Bloom shook her head hastily. “N-No, no Ah’m-"

“Don’t lie to me.” He said with such finality, such calm authority that Apple Bloom immediately ceased her nervous babbling. “I’m sorry if I scare you. It’s not that I mean to. Being leader just gives off a certain feeling, you know? Ponies don’t quite look at you the same. But I wanted to talk to you, you see. One of my ponies found you in the forest, passed out and with blood all over you. We took you here, cleaned you up... but you weren’t hurt. Why did you have blood on you, Apple Bloom?”

She closed her eyes, shaking her head yet again. “N-No, Ah... Ah don’ wanna talk about it...”

Culus cleared his throat, and Apple Bloom immediately opened her eyes to stare into his. “We generously helped you. You were in quite a predicament... all alone, passed out in the middle of the Everfree.” He paused for a second to let his words sink in as Apple Bloom’s eyes widened. “We could have easily left you there. So please, repay our kindness and tell me why you were bloody.”

“Ah’m scared...”

“Then don’t lie to me. Don’t avoid questions. Just talk.”

Her breathing coming in short, uneven breaths, Apple Bloom recounted her troubles. Being cornered in the orchard by manticores, her brother taking a hit to try to save her... “And that’s when...” she trailed off, her words failing her.

Culus raised an eyebrow, leaning forward. “And that’s when... what, Apple Bloom? What happened?”

“Ah... Ah... Ah was... rescued.” She didn’t know how to get out of this. She couldn’t mention the fight without mentioning Yang, and there was no convincing way to tell this leader that an alien saved her! Her mouth refusing to form words, Apple Bloom eventually gave up and just started sobbing. Her tears fell from her cheeks onto the grassy dirt and she crumpled to the ground.

Culus scoffed without any trace of sympathy. “Get up, please. Come with me.” As he stood, he looked at the weeping filly with cold eyes. Apple Bloom didn’t move, didn’t make any acknowledgement of his orders. She simply cried. Culus, after a moment of staring at her sighed and turned to the flap of the tent, sticking his head out. “Tunny!” He hollered. “Bring Apple Bloom to  _it_. I know what needs to happen.”

Hearing this, Apple Bloom immediately ceased her crying and stood. Her wet eyes went wide, pleading with Culus who only looked back with a cold stare. “We won’t harm you, Apple Bloom,” he said smoothly as Tunny, the stallion from before, came into the tent with an unreadable expression. “But we need you to come with us.”

Apple Bloom choked on her sobs, trying to suppress them as Tunny stepped forward and reached a hoof out. “Apple Bloom,” he said as he stepped closer. “Please stop crying. You won’t be hurt, I promise.”

Could she trust them? These ponies had helped her, cleaned the blood off of her coat... but their leader seemed so cold, so uncaring with the thinly veiled threats. If their leader could pretend to be nice but then flip to a jerk, what about Tunny? As her orange eyes stared into Tunny’s green. In that moment, Apple Bloom made a decision.

With a gulp, the filly smacked Tunny’s hoof away, and as he gasped in shock she ran forward, ramming into his chest, making him stumble backwards. Apple Bloom ran past him, and as she reached Culus the leader thrust out a hoof, intent on grabbing her hair. Quickly she ducked, sliding under his foreleg and past him.

The flap of the tent was so close. Apple Bloom jumped to her hooves and continued running. Just a few more steps-

Culus had dove at her and landed on her back, knocking the two of them to the ground. “You damn girl,” he growled, using a hoof to grasp her mane and drag her to her hooves as he stood. “I’ve wasted resources on you - resources that were better suited for my ponies. The  _least_ you could do was follow some damn  _orders_!” Culus shouted at Apple Bloom, who tried to shrink back but could not due to the stallion’s grip on her mane. Apple Bloom’s tears began.

“Tunny!” Culus exclaimed. Tunny jumped, turning to Culus and nodding. Culus continued, “Make sure the creature’s awake. I have something to do.”

Tunny nodded, his body shaking. “Y-yes sir, Culus. But... Sir...”

“What?!” Culus asked forcefully, glaring at Tunny.

“She’s... She’s just a filly...”

“I don't care! I will not have anything threaten my ponies!" The leader yelled, his eyes as wide as dinner plates and full of fury. “If you would like to spend your life in jail, that’s fine! Go let the guards know that you’re a criminal!” Apple Bloom’s eyes also widened, but in shock rather than anger. “However, if you want to be a free stallion, we have to get rid of this filly. We both know  _exactly_ where those manticores were when Yang killed them...” Apple Bloom gasped and tried to wiggle out of Culus’s grip, but to no avail.

Culus walked forward, dragging Apple Bloom with him and he used his free hoof to open the flap of the tent. “This filly was at Sweet Apple Acres. Her name is Apple Bloom. Her family  _owns_ Sweet Apple Acres. And out of all the heroes of Equestria, who lives at Sweet Apple Acres?

Tunny nodded slowly, and with a shaky breath opened his mouth to respond. “A-Applejack...”

Culus made a noise of approval. “Yes. And who is Applejack friends with?”

Tunny gulped. “Princess Twilight...”

“Exactly.” Culus bowed his head curtly and exited the tent, with Apple Bloom kicking her hooves in a vain attempt at escape.

* * *

Yang allowed herself a small smile, even as her bloodied wrists sent waves of heated pain through her arms. She felt it returning. As the chains rubbed at her skin to try and tear it even more, the metal encountered resistance. A protective shimmer covered her skin, slightly dull but still satisfactory.

She could break out now. But she would not. No, Yang wanted to wait for the perfect time. Culus had been gone for about ten minutes now, and in that time Yang’s Aura had regenerated to about half its normal strength. She didn’t know why her Aura had disappeared in the first place, but that didn’t matter now.

Yang took in a deep breath through her mouth and slowly exhaled through her nose. No matter what Culus threw at her now, she’d be able to brush it off no problem. The only thing left to do was wait.

Her ears picked up the sound of two sets of hoofsteps approaching - through they seemed clumsy. She wiggled her fingers, trying to steady her frantically beating heart. She wasn’t scared. In fact, she was excited.

But that excitement died the second the flap of the tent opened and Apple Bloom was thrown into the tent.

Apple Bloom quickly scrambled to her hooves and turned back to the tent’s exit, but the way as blocked by Culus, who stared at the filly with cold eyes. Seeing that her escape was blocked, Apple Bloom turned away, only for her to stop dead in her tracks when her eyes landed on Yang’s beaten and bloodied form.

“... Y-Yang...?” Apple Bloom whimpered, shrinking back slightly.

The blonde’s mouth hung open in shock, her breathing nonexistent as her lilac eyes stared ahead. “Apple Bloom.” Yang’s words were whispered, her gaze never moving away from the filly. “What are you-?”

Culus stepped in between them, cutting off Yang’s words. “So you  _do_ know each other.”

Yang’s mouth closed and turned into a furious frown as her head snapped to face Culus. “What is she doing here?!” She exclaimed, her voice full of hatred. Culus took a small step back, but only partly out of fear. He grabbed Apple Bloom’s mane yet again and lifted her into the air, causing the filly to let out a yelp of pain and fear.

“You bastard! Let her go!”

Culus shook his head. “Can’t do that, Yang. If I do, she’ll run off and tell her sister all about us. Then the guards will be arresting my friends. I can’t have that happen.” He moved his head to his side, using his mouth to open his saddlebags. Yang’s eyes widened.

" _No!_ "

Culus’s head snapped out of the bag, in his mouth was a knife that was uncomfortably pointy. As the Ember Celica began expanding, having some slight trouble moving past the chains on Yang’s wrists, Culus dropped Apple Bloom and with a grunt he charged at the human. Yang took in a deep breath and closed her eyes tight.

An explosion erupted, flinging both Yang and Culus back in opposite directions.

Yang lay on her back, slightly dazed. Her weakened Aura had done a decent job of blocking her blast, but the impact rocked her brain inside her skull. She blinked a few times and jumped to her feet to see Culus laying on the ground, holding a foreleg in agony. Yang growled but then noticed Apple Bloom, hugging herself tightly, off to the side of the tent, staring at Yang with wide eyes.

Her face relaxed, her frown turning into a small smile, and Yang took a small step towards Apple Bloom. Before Yang’s foot even touched the ground, however, the filly’s face seemed to be filled with more fear than ever before and she backed away into the wall of the tent, which bent around Apple Bloom’s small body. Yang’s smile fell and she stepped back, her hand pathetically reaching out towards the filly.

Suddenly, Yang felt something slice across her face. She jumped back, raised her fists and looked to see Culus standing there, knife still clenched tightly in his mouth and blood staining the left side of his face. Yang growled again.

Culus did not respond, settling for jumping at her. He aimed for her neck, intending for the steel of his blade to sink into her skin and end her life, but his eyes widened when the knife seemed to simply poke the human. Before Culus’s hooves could touch the ground one of Yang’s hands flew forward, her fingers wrapping around the pony’s throat. Culus’s breath caught in his lungs as his airway became cut off. His jaw dropped slightly and the knife fell from his teeth, the blade sinking into the ground.

“You know,” Yang started slowly. “You  _really_ shouldn’t have done that.”

* * *

_**Arc One: I Burn** _  
_**Part Six End** _


	9. Arc One: I Burn, Part Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final part of I Burn. Yang confronts Culus.

_**Arc One: I Burn** _   
_**Part Seven** _

* * *

It would have been so easy to end his life. With her fingers wrapped tightly around Culus’s throat, Yang could have killed him right there. A punch to the face, shattering his skull. Or even just suffocating him would have sufficed. As she stood with the pony writhing to escape from her grip, Yang took a sick satisfaction watching his pain.

Culus kicked out, bringing a leg towards Yang’s abdomen, but her free hand shot out and blocked his limb. The poacher gurgled something, his words failing to form past the grip of Yang’s fingers around his neck. “Kicking me will only waste more of your air, dude.” Yang informed him. In response, Culus relaxed slightly, closing his eyes and trying to stay as still as possible.

“If you want me to let you go,” Yang began in a mockingly sweet tone, smiling slightly. “All you have to is ask, bud.” Culus’s thrashing increased, his legs kicking out faster and his eyes began to bulge out of his head. Yang brought her other hand to her ear. “What’s that? Couldn’t quite hear ya!”

Cruel? Yes. Satisfying? Also yes. Yang’s crazed smile grew as Culus opened his eyes again and she only saw one emotion in them: fear. Yang brought back her free hand, wrapping it into a fist and pulling it past her head. “This has been fun, Culus... but I gotta get this filly back home. Also, you’re a prick.”

“Wait!” Another voice shouted from Yang’s left.

The blonde turned and saw Apple Bloom, now standing and slightly quivering as her orange eyes stared fiercely at Yang. When she saw that Yang was returning her stare, however, Apple Bloom’s eyes showed a hint of fear. “Don’t... Don’t do it, Yang!”

Part of Yang wanted to kick herself - she’d totally forgotten about Apple Bloom! - but the other part of her simply wanted to ignore the filly. Yang had Culus, helpless with one useless leg and a rapidly diminishing air supply, right in her hands. All it would take was one swift but powerful punch... but that reluctant part of her mind was growing louder with every moment.

Ever so slowly Yang’s fingers loosened, their grip on Culus’s neck disappearing. The poacher fell to the ground with a pathetic grunt, his broken leg ending up pinned under his body. Yang blinked and inched back, her fists falling to her sides. She turned to look at Apple Bloom, who stared back with an unreadable gaze.

“Apple Bloom, I...”

Before the human could finish the flap of the tent opened, and in rushed two ponies. One was a mare and the other was a stallion, and both had blue coats. Yang quickly brought her fists up again and was about to rush at them, but Apple Bloom jumped in front of her.

Two voices rang out with cries of “Tunny, Rainy Day!”. Culus, now standing on unsteady legs and breathing heavily, kept one eye on both Yang and Apple Bloom as he barked orders. “Both of you,” he addressed the ponies. “Get them!”

The mare and stallion looked at each other hesitantly, and then at Apple Bloom. Then their gaze turned to Yang, and their brows furrowed. The ponies suddenly rushed forward, their hooves flying through the air towards Yang.

In a fraction of a second Yang's fists were already swinging. The mare reached her first, a hoof reaching for Yang's face. Before the hoof could connect Yang's gauntlet came down hard on the top of the mare's skull, sending her crashing to the ground.

She suddenly felt herself falling, her legs having been swept out from under her. Yang hit the ground, her head smacking against the dirt while the air was yanked from her lungs. With dazed eyes she looked up and saw the stallion standing above her, his hoof ready to come crashing down.

Taking in a deep breath Yang rolled out of the way and managed to get to her knees. She quickly reached out and wrapped her hands around the stallion’s leg, lifting him into the air as she stood. He immediately stopped moving, his eyes going wide as dinner plates.

“Tunny!” The mare cried as she picked herself off the ground.

Yang took a quick mental note of the stallion's name - if he was Tunny, that made the mare Rainy Day. Glancing between the two ponies, Yang scowled and took a step forward.

Taking a quick breath Yang pulled back a fist and rammed it into Tunny’s face with enough force to knock him out cold. She heard his nose crack and saw the blood begin to drip down but ignored it. Yang winded her arm back, bringing the unconscious stallion with it, and with a grunt she threw Tunny. He sailed through the air clumsily for a short distance until he collided with Rainy Day, sending the mare to the ground in a pile of limbs.

One look told Yang that both ponies were out cold.

Sighing to herself, the human let her body relax, her arms falling to her sides as she took a look around the tent. Culus had disappeared - likely using the other two ponies as a distraction so that Yang wouldn’t notice him leave. She growled slightly but calmed herself and turned her gaze to Apple Bloom. The filly stood not too far away from Yang, but with enough distance between them so that the human couldn’t reach out to touch her.

Apple Bloom’s eyes flicked between Yang and the two ponies unconscious on the ground. “They’re...” She began slowly, her voice shaking with fear. “They’re still alive, right...?” As the filly finished her sentence Yang’s eyes widened.

“You... Apple Bloom, are you afraid of me?”

* * *

“Whoa...”

Applejack was used to seeing Royal Guards around Canterlot, but to see them in Ponyville was a completely different story. Despite the frequent monster attacks and world ending situations, she and her friends were usually able to save the day with little to no issue. These Royal Guards were called in just over thirty minutes ago and already they had arrived.

The farmer felt a gust of wind next to her and looked to the side to see Twilight landing, her face somber but hopeful as she too looked over the Guards. “Princess Celestia sent them as soon as I called for them.” She informed Applejack with a small smile. “She would have sent more, but apparently she needed them elsewhere. But still... This should be more than enough.”

Applejack nodded in agreement. Celestia had sent eight ponies, all with white coats and adorned in golden armor. She and her friends could handle a manticore, so eight fully trained Guards should be able to handle nearly anything they might come across. But even so, Applejack’s gut felt tight.

Her emerald eyes scanned the treeline of the Everfree Forest. In just a few moments she would be in there, along with eight Guards and Twilight. Everything would turn out okay. She knew that.

Maybe if she kept telling herself that, she could believe it.

* * *

Yang’s question hung in the air. She and Apple Bloom locked gazes, both sets of eyes were soft and empty of malice yet full of apprehensiveness. The filly’s mouth opened and closed repeatedly, making small noises as she struggled to find the right words.

“Ah... Ah dunno...”

Yang took in a sharp breath, closed her eyes and tilted her head. “Okay...” She sighed. “It’s alright to be afraid, alright? I know that what you saw was kind of... brutal...” Yang knelt down on one knee and extended a hand towards Apple Bloom, who flinched slightly. “But believe me, I won’t hurt you. We’re gonna get outta here, and you’re gonna get home. You trust me?”

Seconds seemed to stretch into minutes as Yang kneeled in front of Apple Bloom, whose eyes began to water as her chest rose and fell with heavy breaths. Eventually, the redheaded filly managed to nod her head in approval, placing a hoof in Yang’s outstretched hand. Yang smiled softly and pulled Apple Bloom to her hooves.

“Alright then,” Yang began, looking at her gauntlets. “You should stay here for now, Ru-” She cut herself off quickly, and continued without missing a beat. “-Apple Bloom. I doubt I’ll be in any serious danger, but I don’t want you getting hurt. ‘Kay?”

The filly nodded.

“Okay.” Yang blinked a few times and cocked her weapons. She turned to the tent’s exit and ran outside.

The first thing Yang noticed was the ponies in front of her. The ponies were gathered in a circle, crowded around another pony who lay on the ground... Culus.

One of the poachers - a mare, by the voice - apparently saw Yang approaching and shouted “The creature!” Yang stopped in her tracks, looking at the ponies who were now arming themselves with knives, crossbows and anything else they had.

“Uh...” Yang uh’d. "Look, I just want Culus, and if you guys decide to stop me...” Yang paused for a second as the poachers began inching closer, leaving Culus on the ground alone. “Let's just say it wouldn't end well for you.”

The blonde let out a gasp as her head was suddenly knocked back. Yang stumbled backwards and clutched at her head, blinking as she regained her balance. She looked up to see one of the poachers reloading their crossbow.

Yang growled. “You just shot me!” The pony did not reply and simply shot another arrow at Yang which she dodged effortlessly. She glared at the crowd of horses. “I was gonna leave you alone, and you fucking shot me!”

A pony with wings - a pegasus if she remembered correctly - flew above the crowd and glared at Yang. “If you think we’re gonna let ya leave, you got another thing coming, lady!” The stallion’s sentiment was apparently shared by the other ponies as they erupted into yelled and jeers as they slowly inched their way towards the blonde.

“Oh, come on...” Yang sighed exasperatedly and slammed her fist forward. She winced as the ground in front of her exploded and the group of ponies were sent flying backwards in a mass of bodies and debris. The Huntress opened her eyes and with her fist still raised looked around. She had aimed her shot at the ground and not at the ponies, so hopefully they were okay.

“Hey,” Yang called out. “Groan if you’re alive.”

Sounds of pain came from all around.

Yang smiled and strutted forward. “Cool, thanks.” She could check on their injuries later; Culus was still on the ground, slowly trying to crawl away with his broken leg lying uselessly beside him.

Culus gripped the grass and weakly pulled himself forward. Yang looked ahead and saw he was heading towards a tent that seemed smaller than the rest.

Culus let out a sound of pain as he exhaled. Yang thought he was going to say something, but he did not. “Aww, what's wrong? Cat got your tongue?”

She bent down and - perhaps in a fit of pettiness - wrapped her fingers around Culus’s broken foreleg and hefted him into the air. The poacher let out a scream of agony and tried to punch Yang, but she held him just far enough away so that he couldn't reach.

“Y-You...” Culus grumbled through clenched teeth. “You gonna kill me?”

Yang twisted her mouth into a sadistic smile. “Where's all that confidence you had earlier, hm?” Still holding Culus aloft she began walking towards the tent. “But nah. I won't kill ya. I don't kill things that think.”

Culus muttered “Liar...” under his breath, causing Yang's eyes to roll. Yang stopped in front of the tent and threw the pony inside. Culus let out several grunts of pain as he rolled on the ground.

Yang walked inside and took a quick look around. This tent was smaller than the one she had been held in and was filled with nothing but cardboard boxes that looked recently opened. She turned to Culus and pointed at the boxes. “What's in those?”

The poacher used his good leg to push himself onto his back, staring up as his chest rose and fell with his heavy breathing. “I'm not telling you anything.”

Yang sighed, slightly annoyed. “Alright, sure.” She walked over to the boxes, the small size of the tent making her crouch slightly as she walked. She pushed one of the flaps of the nearest box open. There was nothing inside other than several stacks of paper.

Yang lifted an eyebrow and grabbed a paper. Luckily it seemed that English was still a thing on this planet.

_Griffonstone - Winston Clawsworth - 2,000 Bits/pound Manticore_

_Appaloosa - Crispy Bitts - 100 Bits/bunny_

The paper went on like that, listing various locations and names along with the amount paid for creatures. Some of the creatures were dangerous and others weren't.

Yang looked over at Culus and raised an eyebrow. “So people pay for this?” She stood and walked over to the pony. His breathing became faster. “Why would a pony want meat? Aren’t you guys, like, plant eaters or something?”

The pony closed his eyes and took a deep, labored breath. “We've all got skeletons in our closets, Yang...” He tried to look at her but couldn't tilt his head up enough. He sighed. “All of those papers are lists of the clients we’ve had over the last decade or so. Do as you wish. I don’t have any way to stop you, I suppose.”

Yang scoffed at Culus’s tone. “Guess all that bravery’s gone now, eh?” Yang put the paper back in the box and placed her hands on her hips as she turned to Culus. Her smile fell into a frown and her stare hardened as Culus gazed upwards. “I’m not gonna kill you, or your friends. You’ll be put in jail and whatever happens after that, happens.”

Culus closed his eyes tightly and growled. Yang’s eyes widened when she saw a tear form in the corner of his eye. “You monster.”

“Huh?”

Weakly, Culus flipped onto his stomach and used his good leg to shakily push himself into a standing position, all the while glaring at the human. “You... You say you didn’t kill Sunbeam. You say you don’t kill ponies. But I saw his body, Yang. No monster delivers a killing blow like that. His remains... I couldn’t even move him.” He took a step forward and gasped as he stumbled forward, the bone in his leg making a sickening sound which caused Yang to wince.

“You’re cruel, Yang. You can deny it all you like, but I know you killed him. My closest friend... and you won’t even admit it.” From his half-standing-half-kneeling position he glared at Yang as he clutched his wounded leg which began bleeding even more. His hoof, normally a dull yellow, was now stained a dark red.

Yang backed away slowly, running into one of the boxes. “I didn’t-”

“Liar!”

She gasped as Culus suddenly leaped forward. Time slowed to a crawl as Yang curled her fingers into a fist. Culus’s eyes were full of hatred as his one good forehoof was aimed directly for her face. Yang’s fist began to rise...

And in that moment a final explosion rang out.

Yang suddenly found herself covered in the now familiar feeling of blood covering her face. She closed her eyes tightly and shuddered as she heard the corpse hit the ground with a wet thud. Her breathing quick and hasty, Yang opened her eyes and then shut them again. “Oh, God...”

Already the smell was making its way into her nostrils. The same smell that was there after her fight with the manticores. The same smell that was in that tent she was kept in. Blood. Warily, Yang willed herself to open her eyes. There, laying on the ground, was the headless body of Culus. Blood poured out of the cavity where his neck used to be, staining the grass and dirt below.

Yang gulped and took in a shaky breath. She didn’t have a choice. He surprised her, it was instinct... A thousand thoughts raced through her mind but the loudest one was the one that worried her the most: She had to get Apple Bloom out of here, while covered in blood. There would be no way to hide what Yang had done.

Yang lifted a foot and leaped over the corpse. Her shoe landed in the puddle of blood with a quiet splash. She took a quick look over her shoulder before stepping out of the tent once more. A few of the poachers that she had incapacitated were now up and walking around - though they were weakly stumbling more than walking, and made no attempt to rush at her. In fact most of them backed away and instead focused on helping their comrades onto their hooves.

More than a few, however, noticed the new blood that covered Yang’s front and their faces darkened in understanding. Yang wanted to say something, but before she could form words she closed her mouth. She turned her gaze to the ground and began walking back to Apple Bloom.

The thick canopy of leaves covered the air above the camp and prevented most of the sunlight from reaching the forest, but Yang could still see fine. As best as she could figure, she and Apple Bloom had been in here for most of the day. Hopefully the ponies at Sweet Apple Acres weren’t too worried. Hopefully Big Macintosh was okay.

Yang stopped walking as soon as she reached the tent that housed Apple Bloom. She looked down at herself, her bloodsoaked outfit and hair, and sighed. “Apple Bloom?” Yang called, her voice shaking slightly. “You still there?”

“Ah’m here, Yang!” The filly responded. She didn’t sound hurt, so it seems that none of the ponies had decided to bother her.

“Okay. Okay... Um, Apple Bloom... I need you to listen, okay?”

It took a moment for her to answer. “Alright...” Apple Bloom spoke hesitantly. “This isn’t bad, is it?”

“I...” Yang hesitated, opening and closing her mouth before just settling on a sigh. “I... Yeah, it’s bad.” Before the filly could ask how bad, Yang kept talking. “I found some papers that would have put all of these ponies in jail. Culus... Culus didn’t like that.

“He made me kill him, Apple Bloom.”

“Oh.”

That simple response was all that was said. For a tense few moments neither Yang nor Apple Bloom said anything. But eventually the flap of the tent opened and the filly stepped out, a small frown on her face as she gazed up at Yang. She didn’t react to the blood.

“Yang?” Apple Bloom asked in a whisper. “Can we go home, now?”

The human sighed and got down on one knee, placing a hand on Apple Bloom’s head. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

With that, the two picked a direction and began walking.

* * *

Applejack and Twilight stood side by side, looking at the line of guards in front of them. In just a few moments they would be trekking into the Everfree in search of her sister. The sun was beginning to set now. Yang and Apple Bloom had been in there all day.

“Alright, stallions!” Twilight called, prompting the armored ponies to step forward. “I take it you’re all prepared to go into the forest?”

As one, the eight Guards shouted, “Yes, Your Highness!”

The princess smiled. “As expected. Okay! I want two of you in front of Applejack and myself, two on either side and two in the rear. Have your weapons ready at all times. The Everfree isn’t to be taken lightly.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Twilight looked to Applejack, who nodded silently. As if on cue the Guards moved into formation, the two stallions in front wielding their spears with golden magic. “Princess Twilight!” One of them exclaimed. “We’re ready to move out on your command!”

Applejack looked around her, at the Guards that surrounded she and her friend. She wanted to just go in already. It had taken hours just to get a plan formulated and even more time to get everything prepared. Why were they wasting time with a formation?

Of course, she didn’t say any of that out loud. She knew that Twilight and her Guards would find Apple Bloom and bring her home safe. Suddenly feeling something on her shoulder, Applejack looked to her right to see Twilight with a comforting smile on her face and a wing draped over the farmer’s back.

“AJ,” Twilight began smoothly. “It’ll be okay. Are you ready?”

Applejack nodded stiffly. “Yeah. Ah’m ready.”

Twilight did not respond and simply turned to the two ponies in front. “Alright, my little ponies. We move out in three, two, one...”

“Wait!” One of the Guards called. “There’s something moving! There, on the treeline!”

Applejack looked up suddenly and pushed passed the two Guards. “What is it?!” She asked quickly. “Apple Bloom?!”

“Miss Applejack, get back!” One of the Guards tried to push her back into the center of the formation. AJ, however, would have none of it and continued to push against him.

“Let go’a me! That’s gotta be Apple Bloom!”

“There she is!”

Applejack didn’t know if Twilight had said it or if it had been another one of the Guards, but as soon as those words were spoken everypony stopped moving and turned their eyes to the treeline. Sure enough, Apple Bloom came running out, looking no worse for wear.

“Apple Bloom!”

Applejack shoved the two stallions out of her way and ran to embrace her sister. The two met and fell to the ground with their forelegs wrapped around one another. “Oh, Ah’m so glad ta see ya!” Applejack cried, holding her sister close. “Are ya okay? Yer not hurt, are ya?”

Apple Bloom shook her head. “No, no, Ah’m fine...”

The two sisters sat like that for a few more seconds before Twilight appeared next to them. “Girls...” Her voice warned. “We’ve got company.”

Applejack looked away from her sister and back to the treeline. Her breath caught in her throat.

Yang stood there, alone, covered in blood.

* * *

_**Arc One: I Burn** _   
_**End** _


	10. Arc One: I Burn Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The End of Arc One.
> 
> Tune in next time for Arc Two: Mirror, Mirror.

For a few tense seconds nothing happened.

Yang stood with her eyes forward, looking at nothing as she took long breaths. She closed her fingers into a tight fist and felt the satisfying  _pop_ of her knuckles. It felt nice to finally be out of that forest.

She finally looked at the ponies gathered before her. Eight of them, stallions, all looked exactly the same with their white coat and golden armor. She obviously recognized Apple Bloom and Applejack, but the final pony was a stranger.

The new purple pony was an alicorn, evident by her wings and horn. Her mane was a dark shade of violet, split down the middle by a streak of pink. This alicorn looked at Yang with a strange expression. She showed no fear, no confusion, simply shock.

That's when Yang realized that she had put all of her attention on the alicorn and had allowed the eight Guards to surround her. One barked at her, “Get on the ground!”

Yang said nothing and simply nodded as she got down on her knees. She heard the Guards asking her questions, but she didn't answer.

“Whose blood is that?”

“Did you take this filly into the forest?”

Several more questions followed but the human ignored all of them. Yang simply tilted her head down and sighed. “She's safe,” Yang whispered, just loud enough for the guards to hear.

“Apple Bloom's safe.”

* * *

With her hands magically bound, Yang was lead back to the Apple Family's house and put in the guest room, at Applejack's insistence. The farmer told the Guards that Yang wasn't dangerous and that it was all a misunderstanding.

But Yang still said nothing. When pressed for information all she would say was “Poachers in the forest,” which prompted two guards to investigate. The remaining six made sure that Yang never left her room.

Yang sat at the edge of the bed with her hands still bound behind her back. She was still covered in blood, of which most of it had dried. It was a pain to move, as it clung to her skin and clothing. This entire situation was a bitch.

The door to the room opened with a loud  _creak_. Yang looked up and saw a white stallion in golden armor walk in. One of the Guards. This one was a unicorn, as evidenced by the horn protruding from his head.

“Hello,” he said as the door closed. His voice could be described as pleasant, a happy and chipper tone even as he stared an alien being in the eyes. “I'm Captain Flowers.”

Yang nodded stiffly. “Yang.”

Flowers smiled brightly and used his magic to pull out a chair, which he sat in. “Yes, I know who you are. Your friend filled us in. I must say, very impressive weapons you have there.”

The blonde raised an eyebrow. “Uh... Thanks?”

Flowers laughed lightly, his horn sparking to life with a light blue glow. Yang felt her wrists separate and found she was able to move her hands again. Flowers smiled. “Sorry about that. My men just wanted to make sure you wouldn't try to attack.”

Rubbing one of her wrists, Yang glared at the unicorn. “Yeah, yeah...” She mumbled with annoyance.

“Anyway, if you don't mind, Yang,” Flowers leaned forward, his smile never fading. “I'd just  _love_ to know what went down in the Everfree today! Because to be honest...” Still with a smile, his happy eyes turned dark. “An alien walking out of a dangerous forest, covered in blood? That's more than  _a little_ suspicious.”

Yang blinked. “Apple Bloom got lost. I went in to get her.”

Still smiling, Flowers shook his head slowly. “Now, you see, we both know that there's more to that story.” He used a hoof to gesture at Yang. “Where'd all that blood come from, hm? Apple Bloom doesn't have a scratch on her. And some of that red looks newer than the rest. Now why don't you  _try again,_ Yang? And please don't leave anything out.”

Yang sighed as she crossed her arms. “Alright, fine.”

And so Yang told Captain Flowers everything. From the manticore fight straight through killing Culus. She made sure to emphasize that his death was an accident. At the end of Yang's story, Flowers simply smiled and clapped his hooves together.

“That wasn't so hard, was it? I can assure you, Yang, the death of the poacher can be written up as a monster attack. As you're not of this world, I can't exactly charge you with accidental murder.”

Yang rolled her eyes as Flowers got out of his chair and began walking around the room, continuing to talk. “And you so _admirably_ risked your life to protect the filly. That's courage that only the bravest of heroes show, Ms Xiao Long.” Yang raised an eyebrow at the use of her last name but the captain ignored it. “For that, I hope you will believe me when I say that you have done no wrong. You will have to be monitored, of course, but that is only a precaution. It won't last, I promise.”

Nothing about this felt right.

Despite the uneasy feeling in jet gut, Yang nodded. “And the poachers?”

Flowers walked over to the lone window that was in the wall behind Yang. “We'll send in a few guards and round up as many as we can. Those papers you mentioned will be a great deal of help.”

She let out a long breath through her nose. This guy spoke in such an off putting way... too friendly. “Okay.”

The human stood and turned to face Flowers, who walked up to Yang with his big ol' grin still plastered on his face. He stuck a hoof out. “It was  _such_ a pleasure meeting you, Yang.”

Yang nodded and made a noise that sounds vaguely like a “yeah” as she shook his hoof. The two parted, and Flowers saluted with a hoof before he trotted towards the door. He opened it and began exiting, but suddenly stopped and turned back to Yang.

“Oh, and by the way... I hear that some salt and cold water work  _wonders_ for blood stains.”

Yang gave a half hearted grin and a short nod as Flowers smiled again and closed the door behind him.

* * *

Canterlot was a massive city, sitting on the side of the tallest mountain in a great show of elegant architecture. The spiraling towers peaked just above the clouds and the buildings framed the city perfectly.

Upon further inspection, many ponies were walking through the busy streets, in a hurry to get home at the end of a very long day. Weary from work or, rarely, excited for a night's worth of events, Pegasi, Unicorns and Earth Ponies all rushed past each other.

Every one of them lived their lives right next to one another without speaking to each other. It was rather sad, when given some thought. Lonely, such a lifestyle could become.

Loneliness was such a cold feeling. With everyone right beside you but just out of your reach, every friendship denied by the cruel wall of fate, the cold would eventually turn to numbness.

And no one knew that better than Princess Luna.

In her long life, she had of course had friends. Her sister, Celestia, was of course the one constant in the thousands of years they had lived. But the others, the ponies and griffons and others that Luna had befriended, were mortal.

They would grow old, wither and die all too soon. And then the population of Equestria began their admiration of her sister - something that, at the time, had not been paid to Luna equally.

The 1,000 years spent on the moon brought another meaning to the word “lonely”. Nopony to talk to except herself and that  _thing_  would drive anypony mad. But now, in these modern times after her return, ponies were much more open to Princess Luna.

In her brief time back, she had made a few friends, like Twilight Sparkle and her friends. But still, none of them could truly comprehend the loneliness that Luna had endured.

Nopony could understand.

[She was the loneliest of all.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmAsD8aRHBA)

* * *

_**Arc Two: Mirror, Mirror** _   
_**Begin** _


	11. Interlude: What Comes After, Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team JNPR sets out on their mission of revenge, with some unexpected help.

_**Remnant Interlude: What Comes After** _   
_**Part Two** _

* * *

Mornings were never a favorite of Jaune Arc’s.

Which was problematic considering that he was the leader of a team full of early risers. Pyrrha never failed to awaken at six o'clock exactly every morning. Ren never rose at a set time but it was always early and immediately after Nora, who started every morning by shaking her lifelong friend awake.

Jaune, however, made sure to get as much sleep as possible. It never took him long to get himself ready for the day, even he spent most of that time in a half-asleep state. But today the leader of team JNPR was the first one up, as the night had been nearly restless – his eyes had been closed but Jaune could not fall asleep. But even so he felt energized. With a quiet groan he kicked his blankets away and sat on the edge of the bed, silently yawning.

After his eyes adjusted, Jaune took a quick look around the dark room. His teammates were still asleep. He reached over to the stand beside his bed to grab his scroll, turning the device on and seeing the time.

He had plenty.

A few minutes later, Jaune standing outside of his team's dorm with the darkness of the hallway concealing the blonde. It was far too early for any more students to be up – hell, the sun wasn't even up – so he felt comfortable as he took two steps forward and stopped at the door to the room parallel to his own.

Team RWBY's.

After the dance, a quick but thorough investigation of the room had taken place in hopes of revealing new details about his friends’ deaths, but nothing had turned up. So now he was free to do as he wished.

His breath shook as he reached for the doorknob. Shutting his eyes tight, he turned the handle and pushed. Jaune knew for a fact that Blake would have woken up from the squeak of the door’s hinges. He should have had a blade at his throat by now and four confused girls wondering why he was walking into their room.

But instead deafening silence greeted him as he opened his eyes, the twilight of the horizon leaking through the window in between the two vacant bunkbeds. It was barely enough light to see, but thankfully all dorms had the same general layout. Jaune placed his left hand on the wall next to him, running his palm up and down the painted surface in search of a light switch.

After a few seconds he found it and flicked it up. The room was instantly bathed in light, revealing the room almost exactly as his friends left it. Jaune's blue eyes scanned the dorm, from the left-hand top bunk that used to be Ruby's to the right-hand bottom bunk that was Blake's.

In the center of the room was a magazine, opened to the middle lying with its cover facing the ceiling. Slowly, Jaune narrowed his eyes and stepped forward, kneeling down on one knee and grasping the magazine. He gazed at it for a short while before turning his gaze to the rest of the room. The blonde smiled. He was willing to bet that the magazine was Ruby's, considering the giant gun on the front page. And he was also willing bet that if Weiss was here she would be yelling at her partner for leaving a mess lying around.

But she wasn't here and neither was Ruby. Jaune let his head hang as his smile fell. He would never see them again. He never got to say goodbye. At least he could say that he did right by Weiss in the end – helping her get together with Neptune certainly made her night – but that was little consolation. Jaune’s chest suddenly felt tight and his eyes burned. He quickly stood and dropped the magazine.

“I’ll get him, guys.” He whispered with a noticeable crack in his voice. “We’ll get him. We won't let you down.”

* * *

As team JNPR walked towards the Bullhead that would take them to Mountain Glenn, Jaune couldn't help but frown. “Hey, Pyr.” He said softly, nudging the redhead next to him playfully.

"Hm? Yes, Jaune?” Pyrrha’s emerald eyes flicked over to him briefly. “Is something wrong?”

The leader shook his head, keeping his eyes forward as the amount of students around them began to diminish. The other teams had already found their Bullheads. “No, no. Nothing’s wrong. I guess it’s...” Jaune sighed, furrowing his brow. “Ruby and her team couldn't take Torchwick. What makes us think that we can?”

She didn't answer, instead simply lowering her head and frowning sadly.

Jaune was about to frown as well, but Nora's trademark cheerful laugh interrupted that. He looked to his left to see the pink haired girl leaning in front of Ren and gazing intently at Jaune. “Don't worry about it, Jaune!” Nora’s high voice instantly wiped the incoming frown set from Jaune's face. “We may not be the strongest out there...”

Ren, the stoic ninja, finished for his partner. “But I can promise that nothing will get in our way.” He said smoothly without turning towards Jaune. “Our friends will be avenged. Strength can only carry you so far in battle. With your leadership and our determination...”

Finally, Pyrrha smiled and took one of Jaune's hands in her own. “There won't be anything that could stop us.” the redhead smiled warmly, which Jaune returned with his own smile directed at every one of his teammates.

"Thanks, guys.” He said sincerely. Jaune again looked forward at the only vacant Bullhead – save for the lone figure standing in front of it. “But, uh, I wonder who we’ll be shadowing?”

“It may be Professor Port.” Ren mused. “Ozpin knows that the White Fang active in the area, and Professor Port is an excellent fighter.”

“Oh, but wouldn't it be awesome if we were going with Glynda?!” Nora interjected, bouncing up and down excitedly.

“That's doubtful.” Pyrrha said quietly.

"Yeah, doesn't she need to watch it the students that are staying behind?” Jaune questioned as the group stopped walking. He looked around, noticing that no one was there to greet them. “But whoever it is, shouldn't they be here by now?” Jaune checked the time on his Scroll. “We leave in five minutes.”

The four students fell into silence, looking around for the Hunter they were supposed to meet. “Perhaps,” Pyrrha started. “They simply got held up somewhere?"

"But they were just here!” Jaune countered.

Just then a green blur sped past them, stopping in front of the open side of the Bullhead and set their bags down, rummaging through them. “Ah, good! Good!” The familiar male voice said. “Everything is accounted for! Now where are the-?” The man turned to team JNPR, jumping slightly as his glasses slid down his nose. “Ah, there you are! Right on schedule!"

“Professor Oobleck?!” JNPR exclaimed together, flinching back slightly.  
The green haired man had covered his usual white suit with a brown trenchcoat and his head had been concealed in a matching brown safari hat. “Ah, Team JNPR! Good to see you!” Oobleck said excitedly. “Now, who’s ready to save the world?”

Nora smiled widely and pumped a fist into the air. “We are!” She cheered loudly, but her smile fell and she turned to her team. “... are we?” She asked worriedly.

“Uh...” Was all Jaune could muster. Oobleck, of all people, was the Huntsman they would be shadowing. The hyper, coffee obsessed history teacher who Jaune was pretty sure had hardly any combat experience. This was sure to go well.

“I believe we are ready, yes.” Ren answered, placing a hand on Nora's shoulder with a small smile.

“Good! Ozpin had much to say about this mission, oh yes! Of the utmost importance, he said it was.” As Oobleck talked he looked over the members of team JNPR. “And in such a fascinating location, too! Why it’s enough to–” The professor cut himself off, and he turned his gaze past the four students. “Oh, right.” Oobleck said slowly. “I knew I was forgetting something.

“Team CRDL. How wonderful of you to join us.”

With his eyes wide Jaune turned, his hand instinctively rushing to the handle of his sword. And indeed, there in front of Team JNPR said four boys.

Cardin Winchester, Russel Thrush, Dove Bronzewing and Sky Larke. The boys that made up Team CRDL.

“What...?” Jaune said softly as he looked at the team's leader, the same boy who had tormented him just months ago. Cardin stood, one hand clutched around his mace which was slung over his shoulder. He had a small, slightly smug smirk as his teammates stood behind him.

“Well hello, Jauney-boy.” Cardin greeted. “Looks like we're working together now, hm?”

Ren stepped forward, his normally stoic face noticeably darker than usual. “Now hold on, Cardin–"

“No, you hold on, mister ninja.” Cardin challenged, frowning and taking one step forward to match Ren’s. “Me and my team? We're coming along, and nothing you say will stop that. I went directly to Ozpin and he agreed.” His smug smirk returned as he stepped back, tilting his head slightly. “Ain't that right, Prof?”

Oobleck sighed, one hand resting on his forehead. “Yes, Professor Ozpin contacted me shortly after the memorial services. Mister Winchester and his team will indeed be joining us, Lie Ren.”

Ren turned and looked at the professor questioningly. “There has to be a mistake, Professor.” He pleaded.

“Yeah!” Nora interjected. “Cardin's a big ol’ jerk!”

“Not to mention he and his team are rather narcissistic and blatant racists against Faunus.” Pyrrha added, crossing her arms. “Not generally people I would like to work with.”

Before Professor Oobleck could respond, Cardin frowned again and spoke. “Now listen here Nikos! We–” He cut himself off, biting his cheek to stop the words from spewing out. “Dove.” Was all he said, stepping back to allow his teammate to take over.

Dove Bronzewing was a nice looking teen. His light brown hair was neatly combed to the left, and his eyes were almost closed in a squint, hiding his eye color. He kept his arms folded behind his back as he looked the members of Team JNPR over. “G’day, Jaune.” Dove spoke with a noticeable accent as he addressed Jaune. “Pyrrha. Nora. Lie Ren. Good to see you all."

“I wish we could say the same.” Ren responded curtly. No one noticed, but he had taken one step to the side, his shoulder slightly obscuring Nora from CRDL’s view. “From what I understand, your leader requested that you be assigned to our mission. Why?” Jaune nodded, wanting an answer as well.

“Answer’s simple, mate.” Dove responded, politely yet also curtly. “We wanna help ya.” Jaune's eyes — and his teammates’, he assumed — opened wide in shock.

Pyrrha responded with a dry “What?”

Before any of the members of CRDL could respond Professor Oobleck interrupted, pointing at his watch. “Yes, yes, personal grudges and all that. Those can be saved for later!” The teacher exclaimed. “We are currently two minutes behind schedule! Let's move!”

A few minutes later saw the two teams and Professor Oobleck were piled into the Bullhead. The rotors fired to life, the blades producing a loud, violent whirring noise as the vehicle lifted off and into the air. The few students that were staying behind stopped to watch the Bullhead disappear beyond the horizon and towards Mountain Glenn.

Jaune felt a hand slap him on the back and turned in shock to see Cardin standing beside him with a grin. “You look glum, Jauney-boy! Lighten up a little.” He winked at Jaune before turning his head to Oobleck. “So, Professor-”

“Doctor.” The teacher insisted tersely. “I didn't get that PhD for nothing, Mister Winchester!” All the students rolled their eyes but Oobleck paid them no mind. “But what was the question, Cardin?”

The bully sighed irritably, pinching the bridge of his nose. He then looked at Oobleck. “What's even at Mountain Glenn anyway? We weren't told much when we signed up.”

Jaune looked at Cardin darkly. “Then why'd you come?” He whispered that Cardin couldn't hear him.

Doctor Oobleck laughed lightly, pushing his glasses up his nose as he smiled. Obviously he loved to give history lectures. “Listen up everyone! We land at Mountain Glenn in an hour and I must brief you on decades’ worth of history in that time.”

Pyrrha, Ren, Nora and Team CRDL all turned to Oobleck but Jaune only stared into Cardin's back. The teacher continued, “Mountain Glenn... is one of the Kingdoms' greatest failures. Years ago, the Kingdoms were attempting the first expansion in centuries. And it worked... for a time.

“Eventually the Grimm wore down Mountain Glenn's defenses. Many were killed in the attacks, and those that survived fled into the tunnels connecting Vale and Mountain Glenn. But the Grimm followed and the leaders of the Kingdoms were faced with a horrible decision.”

Pyrrha and Ren's eyes widened, already having figured the outcome. The rest of the students shared unrest glances as Doctor Oobleck tilted his head and clasped his hands together. “That decision was... either let the civilians through, along with the Grimm... or lock them out and protect the city. The tunnels were sealed with everyone inside, and have never been opened... creating the world's largest tomb.” He finished gravely, looking at the floor with sad eyes.

Russell, with his elbows on his knees and his hands supporting his head, some up. “So why are we here?” He looked up, staring directly at Jaune. “Team RWBY must have found something out. That's why you guys took over their mission.”

Again, Jaune muttered under his breath “But why are you here?”

Nora nodded her head solemnly. “Yeah. They found something...” Ren placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a small smile which she returned.

Pyrrha crossed her arms and turned to Cardin. “All we know is that there's a White Fang base somewhere in the southeast. I figure that the reason we're coming to Mountain Glenn is-”

Sky interrupted her with his deep, slow voice. “Privacy. Nobody's even heard of this place in the last several years right? If I was doin’ evil stuff I'd do it in a place that nobody knows about.” Everyone nodded in agreement.

“White Fang, huh?” Cardin mused. “Bunch of animals. It'll be nice to take them down a peg.” He punched his fist into his palm and smirked.

Without thinking Jaune stood and got in Cardin's face, snarling in anger. “ _Blake_  was a Faunus!” Everyone sans Doctor Oobleck turned their eyes to the knight, gazing at him in shock.

“Jaune...!” Pyrrha muttered, holding a hand over her mouth.

Cardin's eyes also widened. “Oh shit.” He threw his hands up in defense as he backed away from Jaune. “No, no! I didn't mean it like that!”

“I don't care.” Jaune spat. “I don't care that you're here. I don't care if you want to help. Stay out of my team's way. Roman Torchwick is in there somewhere and we're gonna find him. You guys can take the Fang – and then you can go back to tormenting every Faunus in Beacon. But do not-” he stepped closer, putting a finger in Cardin's face. “Talk about my friends again. Got it?”

Cardin nodded stiffly, his eyes wide but lacking fear. “We aren't like that anymore.” He said softly. “I hate the Fang – not because they're Faunus. Because they're hurting people that don't deserve it. My team and I don't hurt people anymore.” He added that last part almost as an afterthought.

Before anyone could say anything, the Bullhead lurched, sending everyone sans Oobleck scrambling for their balance. “Ah, we’re here!” The teacher announced happily. “I trust you all left your bags at the school, yes? In any case, off we go!” Oobleck turned just as the wall of the Bullhead slid open, revealing the outside. He took a quick sip of coffee from his flask and jumped out, leaving the eight students alone.

Jaune looked at Cardin and growled. “I don’t care if you want to help,” he began slowly. “and I don’t care that you’re here. You and your team can worry about the White Fang all you want. My team is going after Roman Torchwick. Don’t get in the way, and we won’t have any more problems.” With that, Jaune turned and walked away, jumping out of the Bullhead to meet Oobleck.

Pyrrha briefly flashed Cardin a worried look, but shook her head and followed after Jaune. Nora turned to Ren, who nodded and they too jumped out and were soon followed by Dove and Russel. Cardin placed a palm on his forehead and sighed loudly, slumping against the wall of the Bullhead.

“Boss,” Russel’s voice sounded from beside Cardin. “You alright?” Russel placed a hand on Cardin’s shoulder as the leader took several deep breaths.

“Torchwick.” Cardin hissed. “Torchwick’s here. Of course JNPR aren’t after the Fang.” With another sigh Cardin pushed Russel’s hand off of him as he stood straight. “I’m fine, Russel. Let’s head out.”

Russel only nodded as the pair joined the group outside.

* * *

_**Remnant Interlude: What Comes After** _   
_**Part Two End** _


	12. Arc Two: Mirror Mirror, Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss finds herself in a strange place.

_**Arc Two: Mirror, Mirror** _   
_**Part One** _

* * *

Death was every bit painful as she thought it would be. She felt herself run cold as her lungs desperately tried to breathe and her blood ceased to flow. She remembered her vision slowly fading until it finally went black.

There was no denying it. Weiss Schnee was dead.

So why did she not  _feel_  dead?

Weiss was no stranger to the feeling of expensive sheets and blankets. With her eyes closed she felt her hands twitching and her chest rising and falling. Apparently she could breathe. The blankets weren't too light or too heavy, they felt just right. But she was supposed to be dead. Dead people shouldn’t be  _able_ to feel. How was she even here — wherever 'here’ was? Maybe this place was the afterlife. It was really the only logical answer, considering her deceased status.

It would have been nice to move — or to at least open her own eyes — but Weiss couldn't bring her own body to follow her orders. Her eyes refused to open and her limbs would not move. It was as if she were trapped in her own body.

Suddenly Weiss's thoughts turned to her family. She was  _dead_. How would they react? Father was placing much faith into his plan to make her the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. Without her, who would that responsibility fall to?

Perhaps Whitley would be up to the task. But her brother had never known the meaning of the word ‘responsibility’. Weiss couldn't even predict if he'd mourn her. She didn't let herself be saddened, though

She took comfort in knowing that Winter, Father and Mother would all be deeply saddened. Her sister was always the most caring of the family. And despite their distant nature, her parents still cared. When they learned that she had been murdered-

Weiss suddenly forced those thoughts away. Her family would be devastated, why would she want to think about that? But really there was nothing else for a dead person  _to_  think about.

If she could have groaned, she would have.

Her mouth refused to open and her limbs refused to move. Her arms,as if pinned by an invisible force, remained stuck at her sides. Weiss chalked that up to the fact that she was recovering from death.

At the sound of a door opening and closing, Weiss would have jumped if she could have. She heard what sounded like many pairs of footsteps as they clicked against the floor. They were heading towards her.

Immediately Weiss's mind jumped to the worst possible scenario — White Fang members here to kill her. But then again she was already dead. So who else could it be? If she truly was dead, then was this the afterlife?

She heard whispered voices, at least one woman and two men but possibly more. Weiss couldn't detect their Auras, but then again she couldn't feel her own either. Her heart began beating faster. In her state she was helpless.

Whoever was here with her must have somehow sensed Weiss's distress. “Calm yourself,” The woman said in a deep tone and slightly louder than necessary. “We are not here to harm you.” The woman's voice came from Weiss's right.

Weiss’s beating heart suddenly skipped a beat as another voice spoke from her left. She hadn't even heard anyone walk to that side! “The storm must have done a number on her if she still can't open her eyes.” The new voice was male, with an authoritative edge to his voice that reminded Weiss of the Atlesian general, James Ironwood.

Weiss heard the woman hum in thought. “I'll need some time alone with her, if you please.” At those words Weiss felt an instinctive chill run down her spine. Distant but still fresh memories of her father ran through her mind...

But all of the sudden the chills in her spine were replaced by a warmth throughout her entire body. Weiss's heartbeat slowed to normal speed and her limbs turned numb before suddenly regaining feeling. Her eyes opened.

And almost immediately closed again. Weiss let out a grunt as her eyes burned with pain. The light was too bright. The woman spoke again. “Slowly. Take time to gather yourself.”

Weiss wanted to respond but could only manage a quiet hum. She took a long, shaky breath and slowly slid her eyelids open. Though the light burned yet again she found it bearable in a slight way. Weiss blinked rapidly as her pupils adjusted.

“Well,” the woman began. “That is surprising. I would have guessed It would take you another day at the least to open your eyes.”

Weiss chose not to respond and focused on moving her limbs. With her eyes open she could see the ceiling above her. It was a stark white with a smooth surface, not a slight imperfection anywhere. It reminded Weiss of her home.

She let out a whine as a stabbing pain made its way through her side. Weiss heard the woman to her right shift slightly but she made no movements towards the heiress. Weiss squeezed her eyes shut. The pain was just too much.

“Allow me,” the woman said softly. The hairs on Weiss's neck stood stiff as the air suddenly felt like it was full of electricity. A coolness gradually made its way down her body starting at her head and slowly moving to her feet.

As the cool feeling touched her, Weiss felt the pain begin to dim until it was gone, replaced by a sense of relief. She opened her icy blue eyes again and took in a deep breath. Her body no longer felt stiff or heavy. She felt rejuvenated, and slowly lifted her hand.

She brought it in front of her eyes and spent a few seconds just staring at it. Her pale skin and white sleeves were still there. Weiss sighed yet again and lowered her hand as she sat up.

Just as she managed to completely lift her torso, Weiss felt a hand rest on her shoulder. Her head snapped to the side and she saw an unfamiliar woman standing before her. She had long, wavy, almost hip-length dark blue hair with eyes to match. Her face was rounded And nearly devoid of imperfections save for a single scar just above her eyebrow.

The woman flashed Weiss a warm smile. “Hello.” She greeted softly. “My name is Luna.” The woman — ‘Luna’, apparently — had a figure similar to Professor Goodwitch but her face reminded Weiss of her sister...

Weiss looked away from Luna and shook her head to clear her thoughts. “My name is Weiss.” She responded while taking a look around the barren room. There was nothing here except for the bed and a small stand at the left side of the bed. “Weiss Schnee.”

She couldn't see the small smile that found its way onto Luna's face but Weiss could practically feel it. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Weiss. I'm sure you must have questions...”

Weiss looked at Luna, and then around the room, and then Luna again. “Maybe one or two...” Luna let out a small laugh at Weiss's words, causing the heiress to shoot her a glare.

“That is understandable.” Luna said as her laughter died off. “I would be lying if I said I did not have questions of my own, Weiss Schnee.”

Weiss raised a hand at the use of her full name and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Just ‘Weiss’, please.”

Luna nodded. “As you wish, Weiss. Let us begin, then.” The woman waved a hand towards Weiss, week took the gesture as a sign to ask a question.  
Weiss did not miss a beat with her question. “Where am I?”

The answer, however, did not come as swiftly. Luna opened her mouth but then closed it with a barely noticeable frown. “You're in my home. This is our guest bedroom.” Luna used her arms to gesture around the barren room.

Weiss was not impressed. She knew how to tell when someone was avoiding a question. True, Luna had technically answered truthfully, it was obvious that something was being hidden. Weiss crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes as she spoke. “I would like to know what kingdom I'm in.”

The room reminded her of Atlas's furnishing techniques. Minimalist approach for every room not meant for someone important or wealthy. A white color palette, accentuated with cold colors. Everything pointed to Atlas.

Weiss brought a hand to her pounding head just as Luna answered. “We are in Atlas — its outskirts, to be precise.” Weiss acknowledged Luna with a nod.

Weiss did not want to speak with her head suddenly hurting again and she assumed Luna was waiting for her to speak first, so the two found themselves in a stalemate. The heiress rubbed her temple with her thumb as she groaned in pain.

“Oh?” Luna piped up, leaning forward and reaching out towards Weiss. “I should have known... You have just awoken. Your body is still healing.” Before Weiss could ask for an explanation, the woman stepped back and looked towards the door.

Weiss suddenly felt herself grow tired. Her head dipped down as her eyelids slowly closed. She heard footsteps behind her just before something pulled her shoulders, forcing her into lying down. She wanted to struggle but her limbs refused to move.

From the edge of her vision Weiss saw Luna walking to the exit. The woman turned towards the bed and flashed a sorry look. “We will continue this conversation once you're well rested. We have much to discuss.”

Weiss wanted to protest but whatever words she tried to say came out as unintelligible mumbling instead. Her vision darkened and her head swam. Weiss's eyes closed completely, and just like that the heiress was asleep yet again.

* * *

The door clicked shut behind her. The blue alicorn kept a calm face but on the inside she was anything but. Countless feelings raced through Princess Luna's mind, from confusion and annoyance to pity, and even excitement.

It had been eons since Equis had seen a new species. This creature, a 'human’ named Weiss Schnee, was certainly interesting. Everything about her was strange, from her looks to the way she had suddenly appeared in the middle of the night. Luna blinked her thoughts away. She could ponder them later, after she talked with her sister.

The princess began walking, the guard at her side falling behind with a stoic look on his face. Their hoofsteps echoed off the walls of the empty hallway. Nopony — aside from Celestia and herself, and a few select guards and servants — were allowed in this area of the castle. This hallway was near the very top of the castle, just below the princesses’ rooms.

The two turned a corner and stopped in place. “Go down four floors and ask for Windy Gear,” Luna told the guard without turning to face him. “Ask her how much progress she has made on the creature’s weapon. I expect you to return with the answer within two hours.”

Though she could not see it Luna heard the guard’s armor clink as he saluted. With a declaration of “Yes, Princess!” he walked ahead of her. Luna stood still as she watched him disappear behind yet another corner, leaving her alone in the hallway.

She waited for a few seconds. Luna closed her eyes and listened closely — listened to how the air moved ever so slightly around her and listened to the sounds of her own breathing. Other than those sounds she heard nothing. She was well and truly alone.

There was a  _pop_.

Luna opened her eyes and nearly let out a sigh, but withheld it. In front of her was the form of Discord, floating in the air in a way that looked as if he were lying on nothing. His serpent-like body trailed down the hallway, ending with his feet kicking back and forth and his tail wagging like a dog. He had decided to make himself longer, apparently.

And his smirky grin that seemed to always be plastered on his face whenever he saw either Luna or her sister was there. As if noticing her less than pleased reaction to seeing him, Discord’s smile only grew larger. “Aww, what’s wrong, Luna? Not happy to see me?” He stuck out his lion’s hand towards her. Luna didn’t react.

“I’m not happy about anything right now, Discord.” She said in a flat tone. Luna felt something caressing the side of her face and flicked her eyes to the side to see a smaller version of the draconequus standing on thin air, rubbing her cheek.

The smaller Discord noticed the well-hidden glare in her eyes and backed away slightly. “Come on, Lulu, lighten up! I just want to chat.” There was a quick flash of light and the small Discord was gone. Luna’s attention was grabbed by the real Discord talking. “Or is it wrong for a friend wanting to help out another?”

Of course. Luna’s horn sparked to life and encased Discord’s head in a blue aura. He found himself pushed to the side, apparently hard enough to send him crashing into the wall at his side. Though Luna knew she didn’t put  _that_ much power into her magic.

“Stop fooling around, Discord.” She ordered with annoyance. When she tried to step forward, she found her path blocked by his limp body sprawled about on the floor. “And pick yourself up, this instant!”

His head perked up and he rolled his eyes. “As you wish, princess.” He lifted a hand and found it grasped by a perfect copy of himself. The copy pulled his double up with a groan and placed a hand on the original’s shoulder. Discord dusted himself off and with a snap of his fingers the clone vanished. “Happy?”

Luna looked at the chaos god. He had shrunk himself down to his regular size, his head just barely shorter than the roof of the hall. She looked down at her hooves to find that she was now free to walk. “No.” She replied and stepped forward.

She barely made it five steps before Discord appeared at her side yet again. “You know, Luna, I find this whole situation to be quite fascinating. Yes, quite fascinating indeed. You ponies just don’t know how  _boring_ it can get around here. There may be the tradition of a new threat at the start of every season but even sticking to that formula gets stale every once in awhile. This alien creature should shake things up around here!”

Luna cast a glance at him and stopped walking. Discord didn’t seem to notice though and kept floating through the air. When he did notice he looked back at her and saw Luna’s disapproving glare. He tilted his head. “What? What did I say?”

The princess simply sighed, though with a small trace of a smile on her lips. “I should not be surprised that you know of the alien. How did you find out?”

Discord laughed and zoomed over to Luna, wrapping his arm around her. “Oh, how could I  **not**?” He asked gleefully. “She made  _such_  a big  _boom_ when she appeared! And forgive me for saying so but I do believe that she’ll cause some delicious chaos around here. Tell me, when are you planning to let the public know? I’m sure we’ll get some  _great_ reactions out of them!”

Luna shook his arm off of her and glared. “Celestia and I will decide  _if_ the populace will know of her, after she is healed enough for questioning.” She took a harsh tone with him — she needed to let him know that interference on his part would not be tolerated.

Discord simply scoffed, waving a hand at her. “Oh,  _please_. I’ve already spoken to her. A bit moody, honestly. Even so, that attitude of hers would no doubt come in handy!”

“You  _what?!_ ”

“Hm?” Discord stared at Luna’s furious face. “Did you wish to speak with her as well? I could always arrange that. Though in her current state, further use of magic on her would most likely agitate her-"

“Stop, Discord.” Luna interrupted with a tired voice. “I’m appreciative for your wish to help, but no. My sister and I will handle everything from here. So please, just stay away from her. I don’t want you anywhere  _near_ her for the foreseeable future.”

Discord pouted. “That’ll be difficult.”

Luna shook her head. “I don’t care.”

With that, the princess walked off, leaving Discord alone. He stared at her as she walked further down the hallway and stopped a few doors down. She walked in without so much a glance in his direction.

Discord shook his head and crossed his mismatched arms together. “Sigh. When will these ponies just let me have my fun? I’m not going to turn her against them! I was just gonna mess with her a little...” In exaggerated sadness Discord lay on his back in the air and began floating in the opposite direction of the room Luna had entered.

“Oh well. I suppose I’ll just have to wait...”

* * *

_**Arc Two: Mirror, Mirror** _   
_**Part One End** _


	13. Arc Two: Mirror Mirror, Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss confronts Luna about her lies.

_**Arc Two: Mirror, Mirror** _   
_**Part Two** _

* * *

_She stood, frozen in shock and fear. The sky above her head roared with thunder as rain began falling, washing away the sticky, red substance that now stained the grey ground. Weiss could not comprehend the scene before her -_ refused _to comprehend it. Just a few feet away she could see Blake, the Faunus also petrified with her eyes glued to the gruesome scene before them._

_The tricolored mute - ‘Neo’, as Torchwick had called her - slowly pulled her sword out of the corpse that lay at her feet. The rain continued to pour and thunder clapped, accompanied by a bright flash of lightning that provided nothing but a better view of Yang Xiao Long’s dead body._

_Neo bore a sadistic, triumphant grin and she held her sword in front of her face. She seemed to conjure a cloth from nowhere and took her time wiping the blood away from the blade. She flashed her grin to Weiss and then to Blake. And then with another flash of lightning she shattered into pieces, just as she had after the fight with the giant mech._

_Weiss heard Torchwick laugh. She heard his fake apologies and could practically feel his smug grin. She refused to look at him. Instead she turned to face the one who caused this. The reason she couldn’t help Yang. The rain masked her tears as Myrtenaster’s blade gleamed with every flash of lightning._

_Mercury Black stood with his arms crossed and an uncaring look on his face as he shifted his weight from side to side. He let out a small yawn as he looked at Weiss from the corner of his eyes. “Oh, are you done crying?” He asked as his trademark grin grew on his face. “Can we get back to fighting now? Or will you just roll over and die already?”_

_She didn’t say anything. Her grief and rage overruled any remark she could have made. Nothing escaped her mouth but a scream of sadness and fury as a glowing white glyph materialized beneath the girl and rocket her forward._

_For Ruby and for Yang..._

* * *

“Luna.”

Her eyes snapped open and she saw her sister standing before her. Princess Celestia, the white alicorn who controlled the sun. Luna nodded and wrapped a wing around her sister and felt Celestia do the same to her. Their embrace was short and they separated barely a moment later.

“I suppose we have much to talk about.” Celestia stated.

“We do.” Luna replied, and then sighed. She used her magic to grab two chairs from the side of the room and placed them behind herself and her sister. Luna sat as she said “I fear that this will go on for quite some time, yes?”

Celestia also sat. “Unfortunately. I’ve been so distracted with this situation, I haven’t had time to respond to Twilight’s letters.” The older sister’s eyes flicked towards the ceiling as she stretched her wings. “I suppose we should begin, then.” Celestia looked at Luna and the two locked gazes. “You went into the creature’s mind?”

Luna nodded slowly. “I did. I gathered enough information to create an illusion of myself as a member of its species. I was also able to hold a conversation, however brief.” Luna paused, letting her words sink in.

Celestia's face turned contemplative. “And...” Both sisters knew the question that needed to be asked, but neither wanted to be the one to do it. “Is it...” Eventually the white alicorn bit the bullet, shooting Luna a look as she spoke. “Is the creature dangerous?”

Luna fell silent. How should she answer? She had seen the alien's memories, relived the life of Weiss Schnee in the blink of an eye. Luna had seen great feats of strength from the girl and had seen how she handled herself in a fight.

Those fights were all against those hellish creatures that humans called Grimm, or against evil forces for the protection of innocent lives. Luna had lived these moments, and as such held insight that no other could gain. But the experiences she lived hardly mattered now.

Weiss Schnee's last moments were not pleasant, to put it mildly. There was no telling how she would react to her situation, her new world, her deceased friends...

Luna opened her mouth, but then closed it. This repeated a few times, her eyes closed as she continued to think. She needed to answer.

“I don't know, sister.” Luna said dejectedly, lowering her head with a somber look on her face. She wanted to speak on Weiss’s behalf, but couldn't bring herself to do it. “My experiences in her memories... Her final moments were taxing on her mind. I can't say if she's even the same as she was.”

Celestia hummed to herself and turned her head to the door. “The creature...” She began. “She believes she is still on her homeworld, correct?” Celestia turned back to Luna, who raised her head.

“Yes. Even if she does not remember our conversation she has no reason to assume otherwise.” The worst case scenario was that Weiss remembered dying, but even then Luna could just say the wound was treated fast enough to save her life.

Celestia smiled and nodded. “Good. Then I would like you to keep the charade going. Until we know more about the creature and her current mental state, I would like you to keep a watchful eye on her, Luna.”

The younger sister nodded. No more words were exchanged — Celestia and Luna simply hugged and exited the room. They then went their separate ways.

* * *

When she woke up for the second time, Weiss immediately threw the thin blanket away and bolted upright.

Her icy blue eyes were wide with fright, or perhaps simply unease. Her head no longer hurt, the pain replaced by a dreary fog inside. Weiss blinked a few times and shook her head but she still found herself unable to focus.

Weiss’s head felt fuzzy and her vision blurred. Her head swayed with her unsteady torso and uneven breaths. She blinked again but it only served to make herself even more dizzy. She slowly lifted a hand, and placed it in front of her eyes. Despite the limb’s shaking it did a decent job of shielding her eyes from the light so Weiss left it up.

Weiss looked around, moving her head as slow as possible. Through the gaps in between her fingers she saw that the walls matched the stark white of the ceiling, complemented by the purple curtains that hung in front of what Weiss presumed to be a window. The curtains blocked most of the sunlight from entering the room but left just enough for it to bother her eyes.

The heiress groaned and dropped her hand from her face. She flopped backwards, letting her body sink back into the mattress. If there was one thing that pointed to her being in Atlas, it was the bed -expensive and just uncomfortable enough for you to stay awake. Weiss hated it.

There wasn’t a television in this room. In fact Weiss hadn’t noticed any electronics anywhere. Even the walls were bare of any light switches or bulbs. She could deal with the lack of light, but the absence of the television and her Scroll were different matters.

Weiss had no access to the news. No way to talk to the outside world. But most of all... She didn’t know what happened to her team. She knew that Ruby and Yang were... dead. But Blake... Did she manage to escape? For that matter, how did Weiss herself escape?

Her last few memories were hazy. She knew that the mute girl had escaped. She knew that Mercury had knocked her down and diminished her Aura to nothing. And she knew that Myrtenaster had been taken from her. Weiss closed her eyes and took a deep breath. That’s where the memories stopped: her, helpless, lying on the rain-soaked ground without her Aura or her weapon. Weiss brought a hand to her abdomen. It ached horribly.

She jumped in her skin as the door opened suddenly and in walked that woman. Her long, flowing dark blue hair trailed behind her as she walked towards Weiss. The door closed behind her. The woman flashed Weiss a warm smile that she guessed was supposed to be comforting as she pulled a chair towards herself and sat down.

“Hello, Weiss.” The woman greeted smoothly. The heiress did not respond, simply nodding her head for a greeting. The woman’s smile didn’t falter as she spoke again. “It seems you are feeling a little better. That is good. I was worried that you would not wake up today.”

Weiss’s eyes widened just a little bit as she turned her head to stare at the woman. “Luna,” Weiss suddenly spoke, the name having jumped into her mind. As the word left her mouth Weiss’s vision seemed to clear and her head no longer swam. She was able to focus!

Luna’s face straightened as she leaned forward. “Yes, Weiss?” Her voice was even with a formal tone, one that Weiss was very familiar with. This woman reeked of high-class living. Even her clothes were high-class: a dress that matched her hair, lacked shoulder straps and came down to her feet. From the sounds that she made when she walked Weiss assumed that Luna wore some sort of heels.

“Weiss?”

She jumped yet again. Had she spaced out? Weiss blinked and sat up again, supporting herself on her shoulders. “O-Oh... I apolo-” She interrupted herself with a cough. Pain rocketed from her middle to her throat. She groaned and closed her eyes tightly.

Luna placed a hand on Weiss’s shoulder. “Do not speak, young one. I am simply here to explain a few things.”

The heiress groaned in pain but nodded her head, making a small noise as she sat up all the way. “I...” Weiss began, stopping to take a deep breath before continuing. “My team. Have you heard anything about...” Her voice failed her, her words falling into quiet grunts as Luna’s gaze softened and her head dropped.

Luna sighed sadly. “Your team... It was Team RWBY, yes?” When Weiss nodded, Luna continued. “I’m sorry to say that I cannot say. No news has come my way. I truly am sorry, Weiss.”

Weiss swallowed the lump in her throat and wiped the corners of her eyes. “... I figured as much...” She muttered quietly, turning her head away from Luna as she took deep breaths. “What about my father? Has he been informed about my condition?”

Weiss couldn’t see Luna’s face, but the lack of an immediate answer told her everything. She heard Luna say something, something about not being able to contact the Schnee family. But Weiss was no longer listening. Instead she focused on her own thoughts.

Here she was, in a room that she wasn’t sure was even in Atlas. For all she knew it was in an area not controlled by any of the Kingdoms. This woman was the only person she had seen so far - not counting the man that had accompanied Luna during the first visit but Weiss had never seen him. She lacked her Scroll, her weapon was nowhere to be found...

Weiss crossed her arms as her eyes closed tightly. “I want to leave.” She spoke slowly but harshly, and took great pleasure in the silence that loomed over the two as her words hung in the air. Weiss could not see Luna’s reaction but she assumed it wasn’t pleasant. After all, a prisoner had just figured out what she was.

“... You wish to leave?” Luna’s flat words betrayed absolutely no emotion. The cool way she spoke would have sent chills down Weiss’s spine had she not been expecting it - nearly two decades of living around aristocrats and liars gave her plenty of experience. She heard Luna sigh and stand from her chair. “Open your eyes.”

Weiss did as she was told, but made sure that her gaze was as full of anger as possible. Luna stood to Weiss’s left, one hand on her hip with her eyes staring into the heiress’s. The woman clapped her hands and grabbed at the air with one - and to Weiss’s amazement a white glow appeared in Luna’s grip. When the white light faded, Myrtenaster appeared.

Weiss’s blue eyes were wide as dinner plates as the woman dropped her weapon onto the bed. “Wha-?” She choked out as she reached for her blade’s hilt. “Was... Was that your Semblance...?” Weiss had never heard of a Semblance that was able to transport items from one place to your hands but she supposed it was not much different than her family’s.

“Take it.” Luna said curtly as she turned and walked a few steps away. “I realize that you have no reason to trust me, but please push your thoughts aside and listen.”

Weiss held her weapon, testing its weight in her hands. It felt familiar yet strange at the same time. She stared at the sword for some time before turning her gaze to Luna.

The woman looked over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow at Weiss. “Are you listening? I do hope you are.” Luna closed her eyes and let out a short sigh. “I was hoping this would not have to happen for another few days...”

As she tossed the covers aside and slid herself off of the bed Weiss looked quizzically at Luna. “What are you talking about?” She asked with a slightly raised voice. “I have  _every right_  to know exactly where I am, and you have been nothing but vague ever since I woke up!” Weiss pointed Myrtenaster at the woman, who tensed slightly.

“If I'm a hostage, then I'll escape. If you're with the White Fang, then I'll have you know I've fought you before and won. You don't frighten me-!”

“Silence!”

Weiss stopped talking — or, rather, found herself unable to talk. Her jaw refused to move and she found that she couldn't even move her head, as if it were being held by an invisible force. She made a noise as she tried to wrench her head free, but to no avail.

“I'm very sorry about this, Weiss.” Luna spoke softly as she turned, her hand outstretched and her fingers pointing Weiss's direction. “I did not expect you to be so lucid so fast. I would have made the illusion more convincing... Alas, my sister has always been the better thinker.”

Luna made to take a step closer but put her foot back when Weiss stuck her weapon as far out as it could go. Luna's blank face stared as she lowered her hand. Weiss felt her jaw fall slightly and she moved her head side to side slowly, then looked at the woman quizzically.

Luna crossed her arms. “I am so very sorry to have caused you this stress. I never intended to make you feel as if you were in danger.”

Weiss grit her teeth together and let out a frustrated growl. “I want answers. Clear answers. Now!”

“And you will get them.” Luna's voice, still calm and collected, suddenly echoed through the room. Weiss squinted her eyes as Luna’s form seemed to blur.

And when the blur faded, a pair of animal ears stuck out from the top of the woman's head.

Weiss's eyes widened as she took a step back. “You... You're a Faunus!” Despite herself, she felt her grip tighten around her weapon.

Luna looked at Weiss oddly, but then turned her gaze upward. “Oh. That wasn't supposed to happen.” Before Weiss could ask what she meant, the woman was again blurred. And slowly, the blur was replaced by a blue light.

Luna's voice spoke from the light. “Please try to remain calm. What you see may surprise you.”

The light grew brighter, and brighter still. Weiss closed her eyes and raised her hands to block it out. Just who was this woman? Just when her eyes began to hurt, the light dimmed away.

Weiss opened her eyes and blinked as they readjusted. “Wha...?” She started, lowering Myrtenaster as she stared at the scene before her. “What the heck are you?”

The creature — it kinda looked like a horse, actually — stood confidently on its four legs as it stared at Weiss with big blue irises. Its coat was a darker shade of blue, and it wore a black crown atop its head. But perhaps the most odd thing about it was the mane; a slightly brighter shade of blue but it seemed to flow with non-existent wind. It also seemed to be made out of stars.

The horse smiled a small smile. “Hello, Weiss Schnee. I am Princess Luna.”

* * *

_Her Aura was gone._

_Weiss lay on the ground, her white dress tainted with blood and dirt. She could barely move anymore. Her limbs screamed with white hot pain at every little twitch. Her lungs fought to take in air._

_Mercury's smirk never faltered through the fight. At every moment he was in control, and though Weiss had been able to get a few good hits in it ultimately meant nothing. His shoes clicked on the asphalt as he walked closer._

_She heard the sound of gunfire from a little ways away. Her mind briefly registered that Blake was still fighting. Still alive. Weiss allowed herself a small smile. The Faunus had lasted longer than the Schnee. Oh, if her father could see her now._

_Myrtenaster lay just a few feet away, just out of her reach — not that she could have grabbed for it anyway. But still she tried, lifting her arm slightly and reaching out ever so slowly despite every muscle screaming at her to stop. She had to try, dammit!_

_Tears began to well up in the corners of her eyes. She needed her weapon. She needed it to fight. She needed her team. Weiss wanted her friends..._

_The blade of Myrtenaster clicked against the ground as it was lifted into the air... But not by Weiss. She looked up through her wet eyes to see Mercury, his weight shifted to one side and his smirk — that fucking smirk — plastered firmly on his face._

_There was pain. Weiss let out a strangled cry of pain as she suddenly found it hard to breathe. She could vaguely hear Mercury walking away. Everything seemed muffled._

_Her limbs grew heavy. She tried to lift her arm but could only manage a twitch of her finger. Was the night this cold before? She managed to lift her head to see her own weapon protruding out of her chest. The all-too familiar lure of sleep beckoned to her, welcoming her into it’s sweet embrace for, very likely, the last time._

_She heard the cry of Blake's voice just before everything faded away._

* * *

_**Arc Two: Mirror, Mirror** _   
_**Part Two End** _


	14. Arc Two, Mirror Mirror: Part Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss meets a chaotic individual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last of the pre-written chapters. Do not expect a quick update schedule.

_**Arc Two: Mirror, Mirror** _   
_**Part Three** _

* * *

If there was one place Princess Celestia would like to be, it most certainly was not this place. She sat at the head of the table in a room so large it could almost be another ballroom. But at the same time it felt so small.

The princess looked as regal as ever, her face betraying no emotion as her eyes scanned the other creatures in the room. The foreign diplomats were currently talking amongst themselves as they waited for her to speak. There was one person from most of the kingdoms in this room. Minotaur, Griffon, Zebra, and Yak. Celestia scanned each and every one of them in silence as she had done countless times before.

Luna was nowhere to be found. Her sister went to make a quick check-up on the alien before meeting here. It should not have taken this long. Celestia pushed her worry aside for the moment, however. If the alien needed to be dealt with, then it was a good thing this meeting was taking place.

A flash of white momentarily distracted her from her thoughts. The diplomats made a brief fuss before they recognized the overly-joyus voice of Discord, which only caused them to make an even louder noise out of protest.

“Princess Celestia!” a voice objected. The princess glanced ahead to see the Minotaur diplomat - a high ranking Colonel named Steel Hoof - standing from his chair, his hands on the table as he leaned forward with his face showing barely contained anger. “Get this buffoon out of here! You said this meeting was for us diplomats only!”

It took all she had for Celestia not to roll her eyes. Instead she looked between the Minotaur and Discord calmly. “I don’t see why Discord cannot attend this meeting,” she stated simply as her eyes rested on Steel Hoof. “Colonel, I do hope you realize that Discord is the only known Draconequus in existence. For all intents and purposes, he is a representative of his species in this gathering of us all.” She looked back to Discord, who settled for floating to her left.

Discord cracked a wide grin as he leaned forward in the air. “Thank you, Celestia. Good to know you have my back! Now, may I ask what this whole meeting is about? I don’t like secrets very much.” He cast a sparkly glance at every creature sitting at the table.

The princess sighed. “I’d hoped to wait for my sister to arrive, but I suppose we’ve waited long enough already.”

“Me tired of waiting!”

“I’m aware, Prince Rutherford.” Yaks never were known for their patience, as Rutherford had just demonstrated. Celestia took a breath before gazing around. “I’m afraid that what I am about to say will be hard to believe. But I assure you that it is the absolute truth.

“Our world has been visited, though whether it is a peaceful visit, I am uncertain.”

* * *

Weiss was in the process of waking up before she even knew she fell asleep.

Before her eyes opened, she felt the familiar sense of blankets covering her body. She immediately knew that she was still in the room. The room that Luna was hesitant to let her leave. Luna...

Weiss’ eyes snapped open. Luna.  _Princess_ Luna. She sat up and threw the blankets away. There was no way. It just was not possible. Weiss tossed her legs over the side of the bed and lunged off, getting to her feet before she even knew what she was doing. Her mind had to be playing tricks on her.

She remembered seeing the woman’s body shimmer with some sort of power. And then the  _ears_. Ears that she had seen on countless Faunus around the world of Remnant. But she had never seen a Faunus actually turn into the animal they share traits with! It was just absurd! The heiress saw a gleam of light to her left and she turned to see Myrtenaster propped against the wall. She immediately grabbed for it.

Suddenly Weiss felt as if someone had caught her hand in mid-grab. She stumbled slightly and looked to see her wrist enveloped in a dark blue glow. That  _power_. The same one that had changed Luna. Her eyes widened and she turned around. There was that... horse. The horse that looked at her the same way Luna did.

The horse was Luna. Luna was a horse.

“Please be calm,” the horse spoke. “It would be in your best interest to sit back down.”

The horse could speak.

“Wha...” Weiss muttered, wide eyed at the sight before her. “This is...”

“Insane?” Luna interrupted with a raised eyebrow. “Yes, you said that twenty minutes ago. Please do try to remain conscious this time. I do not want to explain this yet again.” Luna began walking forward - her four hooves  _clicked_ and  _clopped_ each step of the way.

Myrtenaster floated past Weiss’ eyes, covered in the same blue glow as her wrist. The rapier floated above Luna’s head, out of Weiss’ reach. She felt her wrist fall to her side, no longer being held by... magic. This had to be magic. “What... What are you?” Weiss asked slowly. Her head spun. Maybe she was just tired. But this was all so much to take in. “Where am I?” And then the final question. “Where are my friends?”

Luna closed her eyes and shook her head, and used a hoof to gesture Weiss back to the bed. The heiress said nothing and slowly moved backwards, and sat back down on the edge of the bed. “Thank you,” Luna said softly. “Now please remain calm. I do not wish to hurt you, Weiss.” She spoke in a calm manner, but in the same way Weiss spoke to other rich people in Atlas. It offered her no comfort.

“I truly did not wish for you to find out the truth so soon. I wanted to... ease you into it. But alas, I see that it is not possible. I am Princess Luna of Equestria, younger sister to Princess Celestia. And as you can see, I am a pony.”  _Pony_. Weiss continued to simply stare silently. She mulled Luna’s words over in her head.

“I’m dead.” Weiss spoke simply. There was no question to be answered in the words. Weiss knew what she remembered. Torchwick, the mute girl, and Mercury. Ruby and Yang. Blake. Her blue eyes were still wide open.

Luna bowed her head slightly, still keeping her eyes locked with Weiss’. “I cannot deny what transpired. I confess that I’ve seen your memories, Weiss. I have no doubt that you indeed lost your life that night.”

“So... My friends...?” There was a tiny inkling of hope in her voice.

“I’m sorry.” Luna dashed that hope away. She closed her eyes and turned her head away. “I do not know why you have appeared here. In your world you are dead. This world, the world of Equus, is not the afterlife. So it stands to reason that though you have perished in your world, you survive here.”

Weiss lowered her head. “But why? Why am I here? If I’m here, how do I not know that my team is here as well?” This just made no sense. Out of the people who died on that night,  _she_ was the one who got to go to another world to live? Ruby was only fifteen. Yang died to avenge her sister. Blake... if she perished as well, she could get to live here, free from human prejudice. But Weiss...

She was the one who got to survive.

Luna continued to speak but Weiss was no longer listening. Another world. She was an alien. She’d died. She’d so foolishly tried to act like a Huntress when she was still in training and she paid the price. Her  _friends_ paid the price. More tears began to fall as they completely obscured her vision. She tried to blink them away but she just sobbed and lowered her head.

Princess Luna looked at the crying girl. Oh, how she wished she could say something to lift her spirits. But no, she needed this. Weiss needed to grieve. For all she had lost, she deserved some time alone. “I will be on my way, Weiss. I’m sorry to leave you like this. A guard will be posted outside of your room. You will be free to walk around this floor as you please. But do not try to go anywhere else.”

Luna turned and walked away, hearing the sound of Weiss’ sobs grow in volume. She opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, looking to her left as the door closed. The guard looked back at Princess Luna with a blank look.

“Captain Flowers.” Luna greeted.

“Morning, Princess.” Flowers nodded his head at her.

Luna walked forward, putting herself in front of him. “I am trusting you with this. It is imperative that she not be allowed to leave this floor. We must know where she is at all times. Do you understand?”

“Abso- _lutely_ , Princess.” Flowers said with a slight grin on his face. “I’m so happy that I’ve earned this much trust. Coming out of retirement was the best thing to happen to me lately.”

Luna made a sound of acknowledgement and began walking away. “Do not take this mission lightly, Flowers.”

“Oh, I promise you, Princess. I’m taking this  _very_ seriously.”

* * *

“Well, that could have gone better.” Discord stated flatly, floating along next to Princess Celestia as they made their way through the castle. “Honestly, I don’t see the big deal. From what I’ve gathered, she’s not too much of a threat. You ponies are just so skittish - a little scare and you get sent scampering.”

Celestia resisted shooting him a flat look and instead kept her gaze forward. “I cannot risk anything here, Discord. I know nothing about what she is capable of and Luna has yet to reach a conclusion. For now, I wish to err on the side of caution rather than risk the lives of my subjects.”

“I get it, I do! I just don’t think that she’s all that dangerous.”

“What you  _think_ is not what you  _know._ ” She came very close to snapping at him, but her voice barely raised above her normal tone. “Luna and I will give her a few days to... sort herself out. But after that point, I must know what she intends to do now.”

The hall was silent, save for her footsteps as she walked forward. She failed to notice Discord lazily trailing behind - watching Celestia as she walked away. His face twisted into a grin. “What would you do in her situation?”

The princess stopped. “What?”

In a flash of light Discord appeared above her, hanging his upper body from a grey cloud. “Think about it, my dear. You’re suddenly thrust into a new world, no idea what happened to you or those you love? And to top it off, you’re being treated as a criminal despite not having done anything in the first place.” He slowly slid his body off of the cloud until his body curled in the air like a snake, suspended in front of Celestia. “It’s the kind of situation to drive someone mad.

“Now, what would you do? Would you just sit quietly and take it all? Or would you try your own way, and try to get home?”

Princess Celestia stopped and stared at him. She stood unblinking at Discord grinned at her. “Well?” His voice was dripping with false pleasantry. “I know what  _I_ would do. But it doesn’t fall into any of the above categories.” Discord laughed flatly. “Ah, but I’m past those days. And this is not about me.”

“I don’t know what you’re insinuating.” Celestia said curtly. “If you’ll excuse me, I must find my sister.” She began walking once more, her waving hair brushing the side of Discord’s face as she passed. He scowled at her retreating form as he planted his feet on the ground and stood straight, the tips of his antlers almost scraping the ceiling.

“Try not to send anyone to the moon. Ta ta!” Discord’s voice echoed through the halls.

Celestia’s eyes widened as the telltale  _poof_ of his teleportation signaled his departure. She stood unmoving, the empty hall silent save for her own breathing. Her eyes closed slowly as she let out a long, drawn out breath from her nostrils. She gingerly placed a hoof forward, followed by the next one. And then the next.

Her hoofsteps echoed, the sounds acting like drumbeats against her ears.

* * *

Weiss stared at the door. She knew she could open it at any point, or even just shout and a guard would have come. But she hesitated. If what Luna said was true, and there really was a guard out there, then she’d see a pony. A talking pony.

Sure, she’d seen Luna. But Luna had started off looking human. Weiss felt silly, feeling this way. But every time she made to step towards the door, she stepped backwards instead. She shook her head and stomped over to the bed, flinging herself onto the covers. The heiress let out a groan of frustration and buried her face into the bed.

She missed Ruby. Her leader, always the rambunctious type, would undoubtedly have opened the door already. And ran around the place a hundred times over. Yang, too, probably would have been out and about. She took solace in the possibility that Blake would be in her situation as well.

Great, now she was angsting her friends again.

Weiss lifted her head and rested herself on her elbows. She sighed and let her head hang, her snow white hair falling onto the bed. Her tiara lay on the stand next to the bed and her ponytail was undone, allowing her usual perfect hair to be messily strewn about on her head. In any other circumstance she would have never allowed herself to do this, but this was not exactly a normal situation.

Weiss let out a groan and flipped herself over and lay on her back, gazing up at the white ceiling. She blinked a few times and frowned. She gulped and turned her head to the door. It would be easy to just walk over and open it. But then she looked away and shut her eyes tightly.

“Having a little trouble, Weiss?”

Weiss let out an ear piercing shriek. She jumped off the bed and reached for Myrtenaster. But as soon as she did, she suddenly found herself suspended above the bed. “Wha-?!” She flailed about widely, looking around for anything to grab but found nothing. “What the?!”

“Oh, did I startle you? I’m sorry. I’ll put you down!”

Suddenly she was falling. Weiss closed her eyes and she saw green. Green and blue. Her eyes opened and she hit the bed. She rolled onto her side and with a sharp gaze, laid eyes onto a monstrosity.

It seemed like a snake, having such a long body it had to loop around just to fit inside the room. Its head looked like a pony’s and it had antlers that mismatched each other. Not to mention the lion’s paw that didn’t match the bird talons. Weiss looked on in horror as the thing’s mouth twisted into a grin.

“Huh. I expected someone a bit taller.” His voice was smooth, too calm for something as terrifying as it. Weiss jumped back as the monster slithered through the air towards her. “But I suppose it makes sense. Celestia and Luna didn’t exactly give me many details about you.”

Weiss took a shallow, shaky breath. “You... You’ve heard about me?”

The thing waved a hand... paw. “Oh, from several sources. Though I didn’t know it was  _you_ , exactly. But from your gaze, I presume you have no idea who I am, correct?” When Weiss made no move to respond, the thing’s face fell flat. It stared at her blankly. “You’re scared, right? Sorry, I tend to have that effect on people.” Suddenly it shrunk, still large but small enough to fit in the room without coiling in on itself.

“I believe some introductions are in order. I am Discord, spirit of Chaos and Disharmony. Don’t worry, I’m not as evil as the title would have you assume.” Discord bowed, stretching out an arm as he smirked at Weiss, who swallowed the lump in her throat as she slowly crawled forward on the bed.

“I... I am Weiss Schnee...”

Discord straightened out and planted his feet on the floor. “Yes, yes, you are. I honestly did not expect to see you here.”

Weiss raised an eyebrow as she dropped herself off the bed and crossed her arms. “Were you expecting someone else?”

Discord raised a hand to his face, tapping his chin with a finger. “Hm, I suppose so. But that’s not why I’m here.” He smiled yet again, leaning forward with his hands on his hips. “Your arrival here has caused  _quite a lot_ of Chaos around here. So many ponies freaking out over the strange storm and shooting star that appeared in the sky. Heck, you crashed right into the side of the castle! I just  _really_ wanted to meet the one who caused it all.”

Weiss stepped around Discord, looking at his form. “What the... What are you?”

His eyes suddenly appeared on the back of his head, followed shortly by his mouth. Weiss let out a yelp and stepped back. “I’m a draconequus, my dear! The one and only.” His entire body soon turned around to match his face. “And  _you_ , are a human from the world of Remnant, I believe?”

Weiss scowled. “How in the  _world_ could you know that?!” She balled her hands into fists and stomped as she spoke. “Are you just playing games with me? I’ll have you know that I am  _not_ one to be toyed with, you monster!”

Discord faked a gasp and leaned back, bringing a hand to his chest. “You wound me, Ms. Schnee! You really do!” He gestured to his left side, where there was a gaping hole where his body once was. Where there would be blood and flesh was instead just a glowing white light. As Weiss stared, the hole repaired itself before her eyes. “I’m only kidding, of course. I doubt there’s much you could do to ever harm me. Though I hope it will never come to that.”

Silence reigned over the two as they stared into each others’ eyes. Weiss’s icy blue gaze was mixed with fear and annoyance, while Discord’s showed nothing but pleasantry. They both refused to blink... Actually, Weiss found herself unable to blink. She payed this no mind, however, and continued to stare. This was obviously a test, and she was determined to pass.

After a few more seconds, Discord suddenly let out a loud, hearty laugh which startled Weiss out of her stare. She let out a quiet yelp as the Chaos spirit continued laughing. “And may I ask  _what_ is so  _funny_?!” Weiss exclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t appreciate being laughed at!”

“Ha, oh, I’m so sorry, Weiss. I just...” Discord let out one last chuckle as his laugh trailed off. “Oh, Celestia was worrying and worrying. But she was so  _scared_ to see you! Had to send in her wittle sister to take care of things for her. I just decided to help her out a bit.”

Discord suddenly leaned in close, putting his face right up next to Weiss’. She tried to flinch away but found one of his arms around her shoulders, keeping her in place. “Tell you what,” he whispered, sending chills down Weiss’ spine. “I’ll put in a good word for you. I  _like_ you. I’m sure I’ll get plenty of Chaos out of you free of charge. I’m glad you’re here, Weiss.”

He was suddenly gone, a flash of light and then nothing, leaving Weiss alone in the room.

Weiss stood, frozen. She wasn’t sure what she should be feeling. Fear? She had plenty of that, but the way Discord spoke almost seemed calming. But yet her knees were shaking and her heart was pounding. She took a shaky breath and slowly walked towards the door.

She opened it and immediately saw a guard to her left. The guard looked at her and smiled. “Hello, Weiss. I’m Captain Butch Flowers. Happy to meet you. Shall we take a small tour?”

Weiss only nodded slowly.

* * *

_**Arc Two: Mirror, Mirror** _   
_**Part Three End** _


	15. Arc Two, Mirror Mirror: Part Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Captain Flowers helps Weiss.

**_Arc Two: Mirror, Mirror_ **

**_Part Four_ **

* * *

 

The doors to her chambers opened, and Princess Luna turned to face her visitor. Not many ponies ever dared to venture near her room other than the guards stationed outside, so visitors were a rare occurrence. But there was one pony that always visited. Her sister.

 

“Celestia, it is good to see you. How did the meeting go?”

 

Celestia’s face was neutral - a bad sign. The elder sister rarely ever tried to mask her emotions from Luna. She walked into the room and used her magic to close the door, quietly but roughly. “Hello, Luna.” Celestia said formally. “I need to talk to you.”

 

Luna raised an eyebrow and stepped toward her sister. “Did something happen during the meeting? I hope it doesn’t involve the griffons.” Celestia only shook her head in response. Luna continued. “Alright, then what was it, sister?”

 

“I need to know _now_ , Luna.” The elder sister said tersely. “Is the alien - Weiss - a threat? We cannot simply house her in the castle forever, _something_ must be done!”

 

Luna stepped back and looked at her sister with a raised eyebrow. “Dear sister, I’m afraid you’re not asking the right question. The question is not _does_ Weiss pose a threat. Because if we’re being perfectly honest, she does.”

 

As Celestia opened her mouth to interrupt, Luna simply talked over her. “ _I_ could pose a threat to Equestria. _You_ could pose a threat to Equestria. Anypony on the street could pose a threat to another. Celestia, the question you should be asking is ‘ _will Weiss be a threat_ ?’ and to that, my answer is no. She will not. She certainly _could_ , I will admit that. But I have lived her memories and I can say for absolute certainty that Weiss Schnee will not harm anypony willingly.”

 

The two sisters stood in silence for but a moment before Celestia spoke. “And you are sure?” She did not sound nearly as tense, but she still spoke apprehensively. When the younger alicorn nodded, she let out a sigh of relief. “I’m sorry, Luna. I realize I haven’t been the most rational of ponies these last few days... This situation has put a tremendous amount of stress upon me. I’ve not even been able to so much as look at the letters Twilight has been sending me...”

 

Luna gave her sister a smile as she stepped forward. “It is perfectly alright, sister. This is truly an unprecedented event.”

 

“Still, I have been particularly short with you, and that is unacceptable.”

 

“All is forgiven, Celestia. Besides, _someone_ has to act like the sane one around here.” The two sisters shared a laugh, forgetting their problems even if for a brief second. Their laughter trailed off before dying completely. “But now we are faced with another question.” Luna’s smile fell. “What do we do now? We have let the other leaders know, and now we have an alien in our castle who will not be leaving anytime soon.”

 

“I suppose,” Celestia began. “Now that we have stopped worrying about the harm she could do... It’s time we look for the good.”

* * *

 

The door to Weiss’ room opened slowly. She and her pony escort, Captain Flowers, stood in the hallway alone. The sun had begun to set, so Flowers had seen it fit to end the tour of the castle. Or, rather, the tour of _this floor_ of the castle, on which there was really nothing special. There were a few other guest rooms and one storage room, and even a few balconies just outside, but otherwise nothing remarkable.

 

“Thank you again for showing me around, Captain.” Weiss said with a smile. She turned to look at him and took a moment to register to herself that ponies were not as tall as humans and tilted her head downwards. “It was... fun...”

 

Flowers scoffed lightly. “Please, Weiss, call me Butch. Or Flowers, if you wish. And besides, this floor has nothing of substance. I _know_ you weren’t impressed by all the boxes of plates in the storage.” Flowers’ face broke out into a wide grin as his eyes stared into the heiress’ own. “It was _so much_ fun. Did it at least help you adjust to our fine little world?” He raised an eyebrow.

 

Weiss balked at the question. “Er...” Did it help her? She didn’t really know. Most of the time was spent trying to forget that _thing_ that called itself Discord. It, or he, with the way his voice sounded and his body being nothing more than a mismatch of various animals, made her skin crawl.

 

Crap, she was thinking about him again.

 

She shook her head - Flowers briefly shot her a look which she failed to notice - and put on a smile yet again. “It was a nice distraction, at the least.”

 

“ _Distraction_ ? Well, I suppose bedrooms and storage rooms can only be _so_ interesting.” He conceded with the same smile still on his face. “Anyway, odds are that the princesses will wish to speak with you in a short while. So I will be waiting outside the door if you need me!” He used a hoof to beckon Weiss inside the room. “Just holler! This walls are pretty thin, so I’ll be _sure_ to hear you if anything comes up!”

 

The door clicked shut as soon as Weiss stepped inside. She stepped over to the bed and sat down. Her limbs were stiff - walking around the floor like that so soon after waking was probably not the best idea - and she stretched her arms upwards with a groan. She then laid down with a sigh. Her white hair fell in front of her face, though she ignored it.

 

Weiss wanted to relax, but some part of herself in the back of her mind convinced her not to. She’d only been in this world for, what, a week? And she wasn’t even conscious for most of it! She figured she could trust Princess Luna, as she was the pony that Weiss had the most interaction with and she hadn’t seemed too bad. Captain Flowers was a maybe - he seemed nice, but _way_ too friendly. Discord was an absolute “hell no”.

 

Just as she closed her eyes to rest them, she heard three knocks on the door. With a slight huff Weiss sat up. “Come in.” She called, glancing at the door as she stood. In walked Princess Luna - Weiss did a slight double-take at her pony form - and another, taller pony behind her. This new pony had both wings and a horn just like Luna did, but her coat was pure white. Her mane and tail seemed to flow in nonexistent wind, similar to Luna’s, but her mane was more like a colorful rainbow than a starry night.

 

“Hello, Weiss.” Luna greeted as she and the other pony walked to the center of the room. She gestured to the pony next to her. “This is my sister, Celestia.” Weiss nodded - Discord had mentioned something about this Celestia, something about being scared? Weiss moved her eyes to the white pony and cocked her head. She didn’t look like someone to be scared by something smaller than her.

 

Weiss curtsied. “Hello, Celestia. It is nice to meet you.”

 

“... Hello, Weiss.” Princess Celestia spoke flatly.

 

If she hadn’t been trained better, Weiss would have made a fuss about being greeted in such a way but she thought better of it. If she remembered correctly, this was Luna’s older sister and thus Celestia’s word probably carried more weight than Luna’s did - Weiss needed to be on _both_ of their good sides.

 

Luna looked between Weiss and Celestia. “We have important matters to discuss with you, Weiss.”

 

The heiress raised an eyebrow. “Okay.”

 

Celestia and Luna exchanged a look before the younger sister spoke. “My sister and I were cautious about your arrival here, as you no doubt know. Celestia was unsure of your intentions, or rather, your reaction to being here. I myself had lived your memories - I know you, Weiss. But even I could not know if the circumstances as of late had... changed you.”

 

“Changed me?”

 

Luna nodded as Celestia spoke. “I cannot claim to know what it is like, to be in a world so alien. To add to that, the trauma you endured that night... it could have made even the strongest of ponies go insane.” Princess Celestia flashed Weiss a beautiful smile - she was certainly a politician. “My sister speaks highly of you. And from what I see, you are most definitely a being of strong will, Weiss.”

 

Luna spoke again. “I’ve seen what you can do. Even our highest trained unicorns with their advanced magic would envy you. We feel we can use your skills for the benefit of Equestria.”

* * *

 

From outside the room, Captain Flowers tilted his head.

 

“Well, _that_ is _interesting_...”

* * *

 

Weiss looked between the two rulers. “I... You want me to... to... to what? Work for you?”

 

“Essentially, yes.” Celestia stated matter-of-factly. “It wouldn’t be anything so grand as being a Royal Guard, but we would ask of you certain things that may require combat that our Guards simply aren’t capable of doing.”

 

“You humans have several advantages over us ponies - your weapon, for one, is unlike anything we have ever seen.” Luna continued. “Not to mention your Aura. You’re able to shrug off blows that would normally kill anypony else. That is an invaluable trait in battle.”

 

“But... but...” Weiss stammered. “Do you two really think this is a good idea? I’m not from here, I don’t know how your world works or what the locals are like. I don’t think I could possibly...” She trailed off as she felt a hoof on her shoulder. Weiss turned her head to see Captain Flowers standing next to her with a warm smile on his face. She hadn’t even seen him come in.

 

“Ms. Weiss,” Flowers began. “If you accept the job, I can guarantee you’d have the full support of the Royal Guard. They’ll do _everything_ they _possibly_ can to help you.”

 

Weiss turned her attention to the royal sisters again. Luna smiled at her. “We do not expect you to give us an answer right away. We’ll let you sit on the idea, think it over. I don’t wish to force you into anything. In the meantime, my sister and I have rethought your living arrangements. You are now allowed to roam the entirety of the castle - save for rooms reserved only for my sister and I. The staff will be fully briefed about you come tomorrow.”

 

Weiss went from feeling shocked to.. Well, a different kind of shocked. “Really?” She questioned. “Thank you, most sincerely, but... that was unexpected to say the least. Why?” She crossed her arms as she stared at the alicorns. “This seems like an awful lot of trust to put into someone you just met.”

 

“You are right. It is.” Luna began, turning away from Weiss. “However, I feel it is more than justified. I implore you to give our offer serious thought, Weiss. I look forward to your answer.” With that, the night began walking towards the door. Celestia gave one last glance in Weiss’ direction.

 

“I want to trust you, Weiss.” Celestia began with a sigh. “My sister has not put this much faith in someone for a very long time. I do hope you are worthy of that trust. I will return tomorrow - I feel that there is much still to discuss.”

 

As Princess Celestia left the room, Weiss let her arms fall to her sides and hung her head. So many thoughts swirled through her head. What the hell were those two thinking, asking a complete stranger - who wasn’t even _from this world_ \- for something like that? She walked over to the door to her room and peeked out. No sign of the princesses.

 

She turned to the bed and looked around. Flowers was gone, too. Weiss didn’t see him leave. She felt the hairs on her neck begin to rise, and she shuddered. Fake smiles were all she had seen on those three’s faces. Politicians’ smiles. They were trying to win her over, to gain something from her. But what, exactly, Weiss did not know.

 

She could leave. She could find an exit, get out of the castle and find somewhere else to go. But could she really? She had no idea how the other ponies would react to her. But then again, she didn’t know much about these princesses either. But in the long run, having connections with the leaders could prove useful.

 

Weiss slumped to the ground, lying on her back as she faced the ceiling. She never wanted this. She wanted to graduate Beacon, become a Huntress and save her family name. But now she would never be able to do that. Her father would continue to tarnish the Schnee name. Her brother would inherit the company and do even more harm. And her sister would be the only one to mourn her. Her mother would be too drunk to care.

 

Her friends - her team... She had no idea how she got dragged into this world, but logically, there was no way she was alone, right? Could they be out there, somewhere? Weiss blinked a few tears away. If Ruby and Yang - maybe even Blake, if she didn’t get out alive - were here, then they’d make themselves known somehow. She could find them. This job the princesses were offering could give her the chance to go looking.

 

She could find her friends while gaining the trust of the leaders. Weiss inhaled deeply and let the breath out slowly. Disregarding all of that, she could just... stay here. But that really wasn’t an option, was it? She had to do something. Weiss tossed herself to her feet and cracked her neck. She really only had one choice in the matter.

 

“Ooh, well look-at you, Ice Queen.”

 

Weiss jumped with a slight yelp. “ _You again!_ ”

 

She whirled around and sure enough, in front of her was that monstrosity. Discord. The mismatched creature stared at her with an unnerving grin. “Yes, yes, me again. No need to shout.” He shook his head as he slithered through the air, circling around Weiss, who twisted around to keep her eyes on him. “You seem a little stressed, Weiss. Alicorns getting you down? Believe me, I know how _that_ is.”

 

Weiss curled her hands into fists and swing at Discord, who simply moved out of the way. “For your information,” Weiss began tersely. “I am _not_ stressed!”

 

“Liar.”

 

“ _Don’t interrupt me!_ ”

 

Discord backed away and raised his hands. Weiss expected him to say something else, but he simply grinned at her.

 

She glared at him for a few seconds, both of them silent. Eventually she sighed and placed her hand on her face. “Why are you here?”

 

He let out a low chuckle that seemed to echo. “Oh, no reason. But a friend of mine told me that you have a neat little weapon!” He snapped his fingers, there was a flash of light, and Myrtenaster appeared in his hands. “Such a fine piece of work. A revolver and a sword! Did you make this yourself?”

 

“ _Hey!_ Give me that!” Weiss jumped with her arms outstretched to rip her sword from his grasp, but Discord simply teleported away. “You...!” She growled, glaring at Discord yet again before stomping over to him. “Do you _enjoy_ tormenting me?”

 

Discord smirked. “Oh yes, very much. Though you’re not the only one I enjoy spending time around.” He turned his attention to the sword again, running a finger across the blade. “Hm. It seems to me you may be running into a problem very soon, Weiss.”

 

The heiress crossed her arms. “And that would be?”

 

“Ammo, my dear!”  Discord gripped Myrtenaster in his talons and waved it around happily, causing Weiss to step backwards. “Your weapon uses that fancy 'totally-not-magic’ Dust. Now, pardon me if I'm wrong, but this world doesn't exactly have that stuff.* Another snap. “One Deus ex Machina at your service!”

 

“Wha?”

 

“Oh, don’t worry about it. You’ll thank me later. A certain someone told me you are quite useful with this stuff - I hope you’ll put my gift to good use!” Discord’s grin grew into a wide smile. Weiss huffed and turned away from him as he let Myrtenaster fall to the ground. Weiss shot him a side-eyed glare.

 

“Well, I must be on my way. A friend of mine is expecting me for tea. Maybe I’ll bring _you_ along next time! Ta ta!” Discord disappeared with one final white flash. Weiss dropped her arms and let out a frustrated growl. That monster was so _frustrating_. She sighed and bent down to pick up her weapon that he had so carelessly tossed aside. He mentioned a ‘gift’. She shuddered to think what he left for her.

 

She heard the _creak_ of the door as it opened behind her. “Ms. Schnee?” A voice that she didn’t recognize called. Weiss turned around and saw another Guard - he looked just like Captain Flowers, but he lacked the horn on top of his head. “I must ask that you accompany me.”

 

She cocked her head to the side. “To where?”

 

The Guard stepped into the room and bowed slightly. “The princesses request your presence. I will escort you to their throne room.” He stood and turned back to the exit. “If you would, please.”

 

Weiss raised an eyebrow and tightened her grip on her weapon. “They were just here.” The Guard turned back to her with a blank expression. He started to say something, but Weiss cut him off. “Why would they come here, talk to me, leave, then call me away just to talk to me again?”

 

“I don’t know, Ms. Schnee. I just follow orders. Now please...”

 

She nodded and began walking. Weiss heard the door close behind her as she stepped into the hall. “Okay,” she began slowly. “Where do we go?”

 

The Guard cut in front of her as they began walking. “This way. There is a stairway that will lead us to the throne room.” They fell into silence after that. Weiss kept her grip on Myrtenaster tight as they rounded a corner.

 

The silence continued as the stairway came into view and the Guard suddenly stopped. He turned to Weiss, who suddenly felt caged. She didn’t know what was going on, but she knew one thing: _she needed to dodge_.

 

She ducked and rolled to the side just in time for a spear’s strike - which would have nailed her square in the back - to miss entirely. “What the-?” Weiss exclaimed, but was cut off as a second Guard, the one with the spear, suddenly charged at her. She let out a small gasp as she jumped to her feet and jumped back.

 

The spear reached for her but was blocked by Myrtenaster. The blades _clanged_ together and the Guard stumbled backwards. Weiss pressed and thrust her weapon forward, the tip of her blade stabbing the air as the Guard jumped to her right.

 

The first Guard rushed her - she caught his movement from the corner of her eye and a black glyph appeared between him and her. The Guard ran face first into the glyph and was sent flying back into the stairway. He landed with a satisfying sound.

 

“What the heck is going on?!” Weiss yelled as she jumped out of the way of another spear thrust. “Why are you two doing this?” The barrel of Myrtenaster’s revolver spun and Weiss pointed her weapon. Dust shot out from the blade’s tip. The Guard let out a pained yell as his body from the neck down was suddenly encased in freezing ice.

 

Weiss heard a groan from the first Guard, and saw him beginning to stand. She walked over to him with her blade pointed at him. “Stay down.” She ordered with a low voice. The Guard glared at her but otherwise stopped. Weiss got a glimpse of a thin trail of blood running down one of his legs.

 

“ _WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!_ ”

 

Weiss looked down the hall to see a white unicorn Guard - Captain Flowers. He looked _furious_. His eyes were wide with fury and his mouth was curled into a sharp snarl. His horn suddenly ignited with a golden glow and Myrtenaster was suddenly ripped from Weiss’ grip.

 

The Captain stomped over to the heiress and looked between her and the Guard. “I’ll ask again...” he said slowly, venom dripping from his voice. “What. In the name of Celestia. Happened?” When both Weiss and the bleeding Guard made to speak at the same time, he stomped, silencing both of them. “One. At. A. Time.”

 

Weiss spoke first. “He,” she pointed at the Guard on the stairs. “Came into my room claiming that the princesses wished to see me, but then that one,” she pointed at the frozen Guard - who she noted had stopped screaming and his head was slumped to the side. “Attacked me and they were both trying to kill me!”

 

Flowers closed his eyes and breathed in deeply from his nose. “Is this true?” He asked the Guard as he slowly opened his eyes to look at him. The Guard said nothing and instead cast his gaze downward - not in shame, or guilt, but instead anger. “So it is, then.”

 

Flowers turned to Weiss with a significantly softer gaze. “I’m sorry this happened, Weiss. Truly. Go back to your room. The princesses did not call for you - if they had, they would have sent for me. Relax, and I will inform the princesses of what happened.” His horn lit up again and Weiss saw Myrtenaster lift up and place itself into her grip. “Go.”

 

Weiss stood for a second, looking at the Captain. But slowly, she began walking. Flowers turned his head to see her go, the _click_ of her heels against the floor getting quieter as she turned the corner and vanished from sight. With a sigh, Flowers turned to the Guard on the stairs and shook his head.

 

“Sloppy, my friend. Sloppy.”

 

Flowers’ horn lit up once more. The Guard’s eyes widened as he suddenly found his vision filled with red. Pain shot through his entire being as he suddenly found it hard to breathe. As his vision began to swim, he saw the spear protruding from his chest and slumped over.

 

Flowers backed away from the blood that was beginning to flood the hall as it dripped down the stairs. He _tsked_ as he magically pulled the spear from the other pony and let it drop to the floor. Flowers turned to the other Guard that was frozen in ice - already dead. Well, at least Weiss had saved him _some_ trouble.

 

Captain Flowers stepped over the body on the stairs and cleared his throat. “Regrettable. But now we know _some of_ what she is capable of...”

* * *

 

**_Arc Two: Mirror, Mirror_ **

**_Part Four End_ **


	16. Arc Two: Mirror, Mirror: Part Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A much needed talk is had.

_**Arc Two: Mirror, Mirror** _  
_**Part Five** _

* * *

Celestia and Luna exchanged a look. Words went unspoken between them, their eyes conveying their meanings well enough. “And you saw the entire thing?” Celestia asked. “There was no point where it seemed Weiss was the aggressor?”

Flowers shook his head. “Never, Your Highness. The guards attacked unprovoked. With your permission, I will start a full-scale investigation into this situation. There is obviously a traitor in our midst.”

Luna hummed in thought. “Perhaps, or perhaps there is something else at work. For all we know, this could be an isolated incident. The only ones who know of Weiss's existence are us, the guards, and the other world leaders.”

“That's... Not exactly a small number of beings, Princess Luna.”

“No, it is not,” she began, with a pointed look at Celestia. “But it has not been long enough for the other leaders to tell anypony else — they are all still in Canterlot with their entourage. Nopony would have the time to send an assassin, no less one of a high enough caliber to infiltrate the guard.”

“Indeed.” Celestia cut in, rising from her throne. “Though certain individuals did express their discontent with us keeping Weiss in the castle, I doubt any of them wish her death. We are presented with two options: this attack was an isolated incident, or there are ponies in the guard who knew of Weiss since she arrived on our world, and are plotting to kill her.”

If he had worse self control, Flowers might have laughed.

“I'll look into it immediately.” He said with a smooth voice. “What shall I do with Ms. Schnee?”

“Tell her that she will face no punishment,” Luna began. “However, for the time being, we would like her to stay in her room. Just in case there are others.”

“And we want you to stay on watch outside her room. We cannot risk another attack.”

Flowers nodded as he stood. “Yes, Your Highness. Have a  _fantastic_ day.”

* * *

Weiss sat on the edge of her bed with her eyes closed and Myrtenaster clutched tightly in her left hand. She took slow, deep breaths and thought of nothing, her mind gone completely blank. She let go of her grief — grief for her friends, her sister, for herself — and her anxieties — anxiety over her situation, the attack, and her next step — and simply let herself be.

She remembered the Grimm she had killed, and the battles that she and her team had won, and the one they lost. Ruby had come up with a ridiculous plan to slay the Nevermore, and it was only a plan  _Ruby_ could have come up with. It worked, much to Weiss’ surprise, and teams RWBY and JNPR survived Beacon’s initiation.

And the Boarbatusk from Professor Port’s class — Weiss would never admit it, but she had completely forgotten about that particular Grimm’s weakness. Ruby’s help in that situation proved invaluable and allowed Weiss to prove herself as a true Huntress. At least, that’s how she had seen it at first, but now Weiss understood that she had only proven herself to be immature and conceited.

These Grimm, and her own flaws, were only ever beaten with the help of her friends. But they were not here. Weiss was on her own.

In front of her, a white glyph began to form, the sigil spinning with increased speed every second.

She almost had it. She could  _feel_ it.

Only a little more, and-

_Knock, knock knock_

Weiss gasped and opened her eyes, and the glyph continued to spin as it shrunk into nothing. She looked at the door, and then to the spot where the glyph had been, then back to the door. Three more knocks sounded, and Weiss groaned. She had been so close! She’d never made it that far before. With an annoyed huff, she rose from the bed and stomped over to the door.

When it opened, on the other side stood none other than Princess Luna. Weiss blinked and tilted her head up and down, giving the princess a look-over. Weiss found that she was only a little taller than the Princess, not taking her horn into consideration. It was odd being taller than someone who wasn’t Ruby or Nora.

It was then Weiss realized that she’d been staring.

“O-oh, Princess Luna. Come in...” She said in her ‘prim and proper’ voice, one that she hadn’t needed to use since arriving at Beacon, and stepped aside. Princess Luna offered Weiss a thanks before moving past her and stopping in the center of the room.

“So...” Weiss started, sparing a quick look outside the room. She didn’t see any other ponies, and shut the door. “To what do I owe the pleasure, Princess Luna?” Weiss tried to put on her best smile and posture as she walked over to the princess, who simply smiled back at her - though hers was much more genuine.

“Please, Weiss. I’ve seen your memories. I know when you are putting on an act.” Princess Luna said with a grin, probably meaning it to be funny. But Weiss found herself wincing and stepping back in shock.

“M-My memories? You... you can do that?”

Princess Luna raised an eyebrow. “Hm? You did not-?” Her eyes widened, and she shook her head. “ _Oh._  I am so sorry, Weiss. I didn’t think to ask you if that was okay. I know it does not excuse my actions, but my sister and I have never encountered someone of your species before, and we needed to know if you were a threat - we simply could not wait for you to wake up.”

Weiss crossed her arms and balled her hands into fists. “So that gives you the right to rummage around in my head?”

Luna shook her head. “No, no it does not, and I am truly sorry. I am under no delusions that what I did was okay, or in any way acceptable - however, my sister and I felt that if we were to justify keeping you here, under our care, we needed to know  _exactly_ who you are, and what you can do. I understand if-”

“ _I don’t_ want  _to be here!_ ” Weiss found herself shouting - the words had left her mouth before she could stop them. “I  _want_ my friends! I  _want_ my sister! I never wanted to  _die_ , I never wanted to end up  _here!_ ” Her heart was beating so fast, and so hard, and she found herself breathing heavily. Weiss’ icy blue eyes stared into Luna’s own, and she found that they were a similar shade.

Weiss took in a deep breath and the edges of her vision began to fade into black. Her head felt heavy, and she felt her knees turn to mush. Princess Luna said something, but Weiss did not hear it. Her ears were ringing. Her chest kept rising and falling with her breaths that were too deep.

There was flash of white and Weiss suddenly found herself on her back, lying on the bed with Princess Luna standing to her side. “Control your breathing, Weiss.” She said smoothly. “You’re okay, Weiss. Just breathe. Calmly.” Weiss barely heard the princess’s words, but seemed to register them because she did just that. Her chest began to rise more slowly and fall in a smoother rate.

“I apologise. We were so... so stupid. My sister and I have not handled this situation well. Neither of us know what to do.” As Princess Luna spoke, Weiss could feel the world come back. She could breathe normally, and the blackness began to fade from her vision. Her mouth was too dry to speak, so she let Luna continue. “We rushed into informing the other leaders about you, and we failed to ensure that you were okay. We assumed a lot of things, Weiss. I may have seen your memories, but I realize now that is not a proper substitute for living them - I harshly misjudged the impact all of this had on your psyche. The horrors that your world faces... those Grimm... are unlike anything I have ever seen.

“In my ignorance, I assumed that the comparative pleasantness of this world would be an easy adjustment for you. You and your friends are so strong, and so brave, Weiss. I wish we could have met under different circumstances.” Luna spoke softly, almost like a mother coaxing a child to sleep. But Weiss hung on every word and listened as best she could.

“You...” Weiss rasped. “You... you speak like...”

“Like I understand what you’re going through?” When Weiss nodded, Luna smiled. “I would not say that I exactly, totally understand. But I do know what it is like to suddenly find yourself in a new world, and feel totally lost and alone.”

Luna took in a deep breath and steeled herself. “I was once an evil soul, you see. I did horrible things. I put the entire balance of the world in danger. My sister did what she had to, and as a result, I was imprisoned for over a thousand years.”

Weiss made a noise that sounded vaguely like “Huh?” but a coughing fit interrupted her. Luna levitated a glass of water, and Weiss gladly took it as Luna continued. “It was... overwhelming... just how much the world had changed before my imprisonment. By the time I was fit to rule again, I had no understanding of how things were. How ponies spoke, how Equestria was governed, or even how to act around my sister. How would I go about learning? Everypony was afraid of me, and my sister was walking on eggshells around me. I grew cold. I grew distant from others, and isolated myself. [I was the loneliest of all.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS4pnBBpr5g)”

Weiss hummed and locked eyes with Luna, who smiled a small smile. “My sister tried to help. But after a thousand years, we simply did not know each other anymore. However, one evening, she recommended that I take a trip to a town called Ponyville, and meet up with the pony that had saved me from my evil soul. That pony helped me make friends. She helped me grow closer to my subjects. And before the night was over, I understood this new Equestria. My sister and I have since rekindled our bond. And it was all thanks to my friends.”

Friends. Weiss desperately wished hers were here. She closed her eyes and sighed. “Why are you telling me this? Are you trying to make up for getting into my head? Because its not working.”

Luna simply shook her head. “No, no, Weiss. I am not telling you to make up for that - I know that was wrong, and I promise not to do it again. No, I am telling you this because I want you to know that if there is anypony on this world that can relate to what you are going through, it is me.”

Weiss propped herself up with her elbows and shot a glare at the Princess, who took a polite step back. “What, you’re asking me to be your friend? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m not even allowed to leave this floor. If anything, I’m a  _prisoner_ here. I was attacked by your guards! Why would I ever-”

Luna interrupted, though never raising her voice. “I am not asking for your friendship. I am just letting you know that I  _know_ , Weiss. I had friends when I was imprisoned. Ponies that I cared about. When I returned, they were long gone. I do not claim this to be a perfect analogy, but it is close enough.

“I want you to be okay, Weiss. I want you to recover. I know from experience that just  _talking_ to somepony can make all the difference. So when you feel up to it, I will be here to listen to you. You do not have to right away. But I will be here when you need me.” Luna smiled warmly, and Weiss let herself fall back onto the bed with a sigh.

“I...” It had been hard enough to open up to her team. How was she expected to adjust to  _this_? “I... What... What happened with Captain Flowers? He told you about the guards that attacked me.”

Luna raised an eyebrow but did not comment on the change of subject. “Captain Flowers is investigating the incident, and will remain on your watch at all times. I have personally selected others to keep guard if he is unable. Weiss, I apologize for being so blunt, but are you aware that you killed one of your attackers?”

Weiss took in a sharp breath and her eyes widened. “I... n... no, I...” How did she do that? She never landed any killing blows. But.. the ice. The one she froze was screaming. But by the time she left, he had stopped. She had never killed anyone before, and her ice glyphs had never done such things on Remnant...

... On Remnant. Where there is Aura.

“No, Princess, I... I didn’t mean to. I didn’t think about...” She had never even considered that her attacks could kill here. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to kill him. I... At home, my attack never would have...”

“Do not worry yourself, Weiss. It was in self-defense. You have nothing to fear.” Luna’s smile returned. “I know that your world’s inhabitants have Aura. This world has no such thing. It is regrettable that both guards are dead, but neither’s demise was your fault.”

Weiss shot up and locked her eyes with Luna’s. “What?”

“Hm?”

“Did you say that both guards are dead?”

Luna nodded and placed a hoof on Weiss’ shoulder. “Yes. Do not worry, his death was not a result of your actions. After you left and Captain Flowers was alone with him, the guard attacked in an attempt to escape. Flowers was forced to defend himself. We are still investigating this incident, of course, but I trust Captain Flowers completely. His family has been serving my sister and I for generations.”

Weiss nodded and stood, Luna taking a step back as she did so. “Are you okay to stand, Weiss?” Luna asked. Weiss nodded and took a deep breath.

“So, is Flowers outside this room now?” Weiss asked, glancing at the door.

“Yes, he is.”

Weiss said nothing for a short while, and simply stared at the door. It was hard to imagine Flowers killing another pony - hell, it was hard to imagine something like murder could even exist in a place as cartoony as this- with his nice demeanour and pleasant speech. But he  _was_ a guard, so he obviously had some sort of fighting spirit.

Weiss sighed. “... Okay... Okay. Princess Luna, thanks for trying to make me feel... more comfortable. I don’t know if I really trust you yet, but I’ll cooperate with you. I guess I wouldn’t mind talking to you about things, every once in awhile.” Weiss said with her arms crossed.

Princess Luna’s smile widened. “That’s all I can ask for, Weiss.”

“I do have one condition, though.”

“Name it. I’ll do everything in my power.”

“I want you to help me find a way home.”

* * *

_**Arc Two: Mirror, Mirror** _

_**Part Five End** _


	17. Arc Two: Mirror, Mirror: Part Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss confronts the princesses.

_**Arc Two: Mirror, Mirror** _  
_**Part Six** _

* * *

The sun was beginning to set.

From what Weiss had heard, the sun was controlled by Princess Celestia - Luna’s older sister. It was hard to believe, but so was waking up after dying in an alternate world populated by ponies. So at this point, Weiss was willing to believe anything. Almost anything.

Her room had a single window that gave her a breathtaking view outside of the castle. Thanks to the sheer height of the tower, and the position of her room, Weiss was able to see the city of Canterlot, with a field of greenery stretching as far as the eye could see. There were a few other towns she could spot - the closest was a village with a castle in the shape of a tree. Flowers told her that it was called “Ponyville”, and that another princess lived there.

There was so much to see. So much about this world that she didn’t know. Other species existed, ones that were just as intelligent as the ponies. Other kingdoms, other civilizations, each with their own rich histories and peoples. She had to wonder what they were like. There was no way Celestia and Luna expected her to stay in the castle forever. Weiss had had  _enough_ of that back in Atlas.

As much as it seemed hard to believe, she ended up  _here_. She  _died_ and ended up in a magic world of magic creatures. With magic. And if  _she_ was here... Who was to say that her team hadn’t done the same? As much as she hated to admit it, Blake had probably faced the same fate the rest of Team RWBY did. Ruby and Yang had perished before her eyes, and Blake had still been fighting when she died. But there was no way that Roman would let Blake live.

Weiss needed to be sure that she was alone.

She needed to go out into the world and look for them.

The Princesses gave her an opportunity to work for them - to be put in combat situations too dangerous for others. Basically the same as a Huntress right? Fighting, protecting others... But Weiss didn’t exactly like the idea of working directly with the rulers of the country. A Huntress could govern herself, and therefore control what work she took. Could she be given the same freedom under the Princesses? Weiss promised herself to talk to Luna sometime soon.

“What’cha thinkin’ about?”

Despite herself, Weiss jumped as she turned around with Myrtenaster held at the ready. She hardly relaxed when she realized Discord was floating in front of her, lying on his side, lounging on thin air with a cocky grin. “Hello, Weiss.” He said in his smooth voice, leaning closer. “I felt like popping in to see you before I tuck in for the night. I try to make a habit of letting in touch with friends!”

Weiss lowered her weapon with a scoff and turned away from him. “We  _aren't_  friends, Discord.” She summoned a Glyph behind her which shut the window as she began to walk away. “You are an _annoyance_ that seems to be unwilling to leave me alone.”

Discord’s gaze followed her as she walked over to the bed and sat on it's edge. “Sheesh. Talk about being an Ice Queen.” Weiss tried not to react to the familiar nickname, but Discord's grin told her that she had failed. “Well, Weiss, I'll leave you alone, but I just want you to answer a question. A simple question, I don't think it'll be that hard.” He snapped, and appeared in front of her in a white flash. “Capiche?”

Weiss grunted in annoyance and shook her head. “ _Fine_. But you have to answer one of my own.”

She felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise as he grinned. “Excellent! My question is,” he leaned in close and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “How well did you know your friends? How  _close_ were you? I’m only asking because from what I hear, you used to be a bit of a... how did she put it? An  _Ice Queen_. You weren’t the most  _friendly_ of friends. I just want to know how you really felt about them.”

“What...? Why would you ask  _that?_ ”

Instead of answering, Discord put a finger to her lips. “Ah, ah ah! Don’t waste your question. Now answer mine, please.”

Weiss tilted her head downward and frowned, falling silent for a few seconds before answering. “I only knew... I’ve only  _known_ them for a few months...” she began slowly. “But... they’ve all treated me more like family than my  _actual family_. Ruby is excitable but loyal, and Yang is somehow simultaneously infuriating with her jokes but warm and caring in a way I’ve never experienced. And Blake...”

Discord’s grin widened as he leaned forward. “Do go on...”

“Blake... took some getting used to. We come from completely different backgrounds and didn’t... exactly see eye to eye on certain topics... But now, I can say without a doubt that she, and Ruby and Yang, were some of the best people I’ve ever known. I  _literally_ died for them.” Weiss cracked a small smile at her own joke but failed to find any humor in it. “I miss them.”

Discord hummed to himself, his eyes looking Weiss over as he seemed to be lost in his thoughts. “Very enlightening, Weiss. Thank you, truly. I promise everything will be explained soon - I just need to have a small  _chat_ with your princess friend. But before I go - what was your question?”

Weiss nodded and stood from the bed. “Can you send me home?”

Discord flew back as if struck, his eyes wide. “Oh, going straight for the kill, are we?” He floated through the air on his back, hands behind his head as he let out a laugh. “Boy, will I  _ever_ know what to expect from you? Anyway,” A flash of white, and he stood next to Weiss. “Allow me to demonstrate.”

“What-”

His paw grew, and he grabbed the air in front of them. A  _ripping_ sound echoed through the room as Discord seemed to tear a hole into the very space in front of them. Weiss flinched from the sound and when her eyes opened, a vortex of swirling blue was floating before her. “I-I...” It looked  _wrong_ , like a picture that had been poorly edited.

“This, my dear,” Discord began smoothly. “Is a portal to another world. If you wished, you could go through, but it would be nowhere  _near_ your home. Our universe, and all the  _other_ universes, have a set of rules where magic is concerned. Your home is just a  _little bit_ outside of  _our_ rules. I can’t send you home.”

Weiss’ breath hitched and her eyes shut themselves tightly. “... I figured as much.” She said slowly. Of course it wouldn’t be that easy. Nothing  _ever_ came easy to her. Why would that change on a different world? She took in a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes. Discord was looking at her with an expression she hadn’t seen on him before - a soft look, not quite pity but not neutral. It was odd.

“I wish I could offer more of an explanation, Weiss. But I feel it would be best if you asked Celestia, if you want to know more.” Suddenly, his face brightened and a large smile appeared on his lips, seeming to stretch past his face. “If you ever want to talk, I’ll be in Ponyville. Just look for the cottage on the edge of town - Fluttershy  _loves_ to get visits from strangers. Ta ta!”

And with a final snap, he was gone in a flash of light.

* * *

Captain Flowers walked a few steps ahead of Weiss, who had tuned out his upbeat talking. He had been happy to escort her to the throne room, which was not on this floor and thus was usually off-limits, but Flowers had said that the princesses would allow it as long as it was really important.

Weiss didn’t particularly care if Celestia and Luna allowed it or not. She wanted to respect their rules - she was essentially a guest in the castle - but at the same time, she found it hard to really care about following the rules when she could be doing something productive. Like finding her friends and/or a way home.

It was getting late out, and Flowers assured Weiss that no citizen ponies would be in the castle at this hour, and he knew what routes to take to avoid all of the servants (Weiss had called him paranoid for memorizing their schedules, but he said it was “diligence”). It hadn’t been a long walk to the throne room, but to Weiss, it felt as if it lasted forever. She felt as if she were back home, answering a summons from her father.

“Now Weiss,” Flowers said, stopping and stepping to the side as they reached a huge, grandiose door. “I need to go. There’s a bit of a  _ruckus_ going down in a town not too far from here, and Princess Twilight needs me to round up a few guards and help out.”

Weiss turned to him and raised an eyebrow. “So, what, if  _I_ get in trouble for this, you  _conveniently_ get to walk away?”

Flowers’ face fell. A few seconds of silence passed before he let out a loud laugh. “ _Ahaha!_ That’s a  _good_ one, Weiss. Don’t worry - if you  _do_ get in trouble, you can tell them I helped you and I’ll go down with you. But don’t worry, I  _one hundred percent_ believe that everything will be fine.” With that, he turned and began walking away. “I’ll see you soon!”

Weiss let out a “hmph!” and crossed her arms as she turned towards the door. Alright, then. She could do this just fine on her own.

She took a in a breath and stepped forward, placed a hand on the giant door, and pushed. Weiss stumbled as the door swung open, surprisingly light for its size. She regained her balance just in time for the door to collide against the wall with a light  _crash_ , causing the occupants of the throne room to glance at her. Princess Celestia sat in her throne while Princess Luna stood off to the left, their hair flowing majestically despite the lack of wind.

It was quiet for all of a second before Princess Luna spoke. “Weiss?” She asked, taking a small step forward. “What are you doing here? We told Flowers not to let you leave your floor.”

Weiss walked towards the royal sisters, an annoyed expression on her face. “I’m not your prisoner. Captain Flowers assured me there would be no one in the castle that didn’t already know I exist. I don’t see the harm in me being allowed to walk freely.”

Luna shook her head and began took a few steps towards Weiss. “Be that as it may, Weiss, we put that rule in place for a reason. Why would Flowers-?”

“Weiss, Luna, enough.” Princess Celestia’s voice stopped both of them in their tracks, and they turned to look at the elder sister. Her face was completely neutral, not a trace of emotion to be seen. “Weiss,” she flicked her gaze to the human. “I understand your frustration, but the rules that my sister and I have imposed are there for good reason. And you are correct, you are not a prisoner here. You are our guest. A guest in  _our_ home.” Celestia’s face hardened ever so slightly, sending a shiver through Weiss’ spine.

“My sister trusts you a great deal. She has seen your memories and as such, can vouch for your character.  _I_ have not seen your memories. I have only your actions in the last few days to go on. My trust is not earned easily, Weiss, and this action is not helping matters.”

Weiss resisted the urge to scoff and settled for making a fist. “Your lack of trust didn’t stop you from offering me that job. You trust me enough to work for you, but not enough to let me walk around the castle?” She crossed her arms yet again and pointed her nose into the air.

Celestia let out a hum and shook her head. “I have my reasons. And I assume you do as well, for barging into our throne room. What did you come here for, Weiss?” Weiss decided not to point out the blatant change of topic.

“I need you to answer a question. Then, I promise to go back to my room and not leave that floor, like you asked. But I want a straight answer. I am  _very_ well-versed in half-truths and white lies, Princess.” As she spoke, Weiss extended her arm and pointed a finger at Celestia. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Luna stiffen.

Celestia raised an eyebrow. “And this couldn’t have waited until the morning?”

“No.” Weiss said bluntly.

“Very well. Come, ask your question, then I’ll send you on your way.” Celestia said, gesturing towards herself and Luna with a hoof. Weiss stood still for a second, eyeing the sisters before walking forward. Neither of the princesses took their eyes off of Weiss as she approached.

Weiss came to a stop in front of Celestia, and the two locked eyes. It wasn’t much of a staring match - Weiss did her best to not look irritated and she couldn’t sense any emotions behind Celestia’s eyes.

“Can you send me home?”

Weiss took a slight bit of pleasure in the way the white alicorn’s eyes widened ever so slightly. She heard Luna’s breath hitch off to the side, but Weiss refused to look away from Celestia. “I asked Discord the same question,” she continued. “And he said no. He told me that there was a set of  _rules_ magic had to follow, and that’s why he can’t help me. Can you?”

Celestia’s eyes stared into Weiss’, unblinking, as the heiress’ question hung in the air. Celestia eventually closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. “Discord... has he been speaking to you? What does he say?”

Weiss let out a  _ugh_ and crossed her arms. “A bunch of nothing. One moment he loves to torment me and the next he’s acting like he cares. I don’t know  _why_ he’d care about me. I just wish he’d leave me alone.” She neglected to mention the tampering with Myrtenaster. ‘Infinite ammo’, he’d said. Could come in handy, if he was telling the truth.

“Hm. That certainly sounds like him.” Celestia humphed with a slight roll of her eye. “You say he mentioned rules. Am I right in that he didn’t say what these rules are?” When Weiss nodded, Celestia sighed. “He just as easily could have explained this to you himself, but no, he prefers to play his cryptic games...”

Weiss stepped back as Celestia stood. “Follow me, Weiss. I’ll explain everything.” The princess stepped past Weiss, walking towards the center of the room where she stopped, with Luna following not far behind. Weiss shrugged and walked after them.

“Now, Weiss,” Luna began, stopping beside her sister. “What we’re about to tell you may be hard to believe, but I think you can handle it. I apologize for not telling you everything sooner.”

Weiss nodded at Luna. “Apology accepted. I’m sorry for bursting in here. But I  _need_ to know.”

Celestia interrupted, her wings spread out at her sides and her horn glowing a brilliant gold. “Weiss, please prepare yourself. What you’re about to see... may be overwhelming.”

Before she could ask what Celestia meant, the light from her horn turned into a blinding white, causing Weiss to cover her face with her arm. The light began to grow ever brighter, and brighter, until it became so bright that Weiss could see nothing but white even with her eyes closed. Her eyes began to strain against the light as her body began to feel lighter. A warm, soothing sensation came over her as she felt her feet leave the ground.

Her feet touched down again not even a second later. The light began to fade away until the pain in her eyes went away. Ever so slowly, Weiss opened her eyes.

All around her, a sea of stars shone brightly. There seemed to be no up or down - only a sea of warm blue and stars of all colors. Her arms fell to her sides, feeling as if they were moving through water. “Wha...” Weiss started, staring dumbly at the sight.

“Welcome, Weiss.” Luna said, suddenly at Weiss’ side. Weiss jumped, but Luna placed a soothing hoof on Weiss’ shoulder. “Do not be afraid. You are completely safe here.”

Weiss looked at Luna for a second, the princess’s face harboring a small smile. Weiss then looked around her again. “... Here?”

“Here,” Celestia said, also suddenly appearing at her side, though this time Weiss didn’t startle. “Here is the fabric of our world. This is the very lifeblood of our existence. This, Weiss...

“Is the realm of all magic.”

* * *

_**Arc Two: Mirror, Mirror** _

_**End** _


	18. Mirror, Mirror: Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of arc two. Weiss gets answers.

In her short seventeen years of life, Weiss had never seen anything quite like this.

All around her, stars sparkled and danced - seeming to flow through the space like leaves in a current, and the void looked like an oceanic blue. Her body felt light, as if immersed in water, but there was no such thing. Weiss looked down and almost immediately regretted it. A void exactly like the one above her met her gaze, her feet standing on nothing. Weiss looked up again and squeezed her eyes shut.

Taking in a deep breath to calm herself, Weiss slowly opened her eyes and looked to her side. Princess Luna stood there, a hoof placed on Weiss’ shoulder, and a smile on her face. “Are you alright, Weiss?”

She gulped, and nodded in response. Weiss couldn’t trust her mouth to make coherent words yet. This place... it was so unlike  _anything_ she had ever seen before. Weiss took yet another look around, marveling at the sight. It was so strange, yet so beautiful too. In the corner of her eye, Weiss spotted Celestia, too, taking in the sight.

“I do love this place,” Celestia said with a small smile on her face. “I do not get the chance to come here very often. But when I do, I make sure to appreciate its beauty.” Celestia let out a sigh of content before turning to Weiss, her smile dropping as she did so. “Weiss, what you are seeing... This is magic, in its purest form. Magic is what makes up our world, and our universe. Magic flows through every being in this realm, though how they express it varies.

“This, Weiss, is the the realm of magic - it lies between universes, in the space between. You see, though magic makes up all universes, the amount that each universe has can be very different. Our universe, on one end, has more than its fair share. Yours, Weiss... It can be considered to be near the middle of the spectrum. Your universe has more magic than average.

“Are you following me so far?” Celestia asked. Weiss nearly jumped at being addressed so suddenly, but managed to hold it back.

“... I think so. But... what does this have to do with you getting me home?” To her side, Weiss saw Luna shift.

“I’m getting there.” Celestia said before continuing. “Discord told you that magic follows a set of rules, even his chaos. Take a look around you, Weiss - the magic is constantly shifting, see?” Weiss looked at her feet and, indeed, the flowing stars that she noticed earlier that seemed to be carried by a current. “The magic is always flowing, and so the universes follow. Think of the universes like a bubble, and the bubble being carried by the water around it. Sometimes, the universes can bump next to each other. Rub against one another.”

Weiss’ eyes widened. “The day that I died - are you saying that-?”

Celestia nodded. “On that night, our two universes just so happened to be next to each other. A very rare occurrence. I do not know why your death sent you here, Weiss, but whatever the reason, it must have been caused by the overlap. The magic that sent you here could have simply been random chance - the amount of magic between the universes, and their proximity, could have simply opened a doorway. Or, maybe, something greater happened that we do not know of just yet. But...”

Weiss felt her stomach drop. She could read between the lines well enough to know the words that were coming next. She dropped her head and sighed, as Celestia continued. “Because we don’t know what sent you here, we cannot replicate it. So we cannot send you back. And at this point, our universes are too far apart for any connection to me made, anyhow. I’m sorry, Weiss.” With that, the princess took a step back from the heiress, and hung her head slightly.

Weiss felt Luna’s hoof pat her on the shoulder. Weiss just simply closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She let it out slowly, in ragged breaths as her heart began to pound in her chest. So it was impossible. There was no way to get home. Celestia said that the universes overlapping was a rare occurrence, and without it, there’d be no way for them to send her back.

She was stuck.

Up and down, her chest heaved, her lungs taking in shaky breaths as she tried her hardest not to scream. She had let her guard down. She  _knew_ this was a longshot, but the incredible sight of the magic had made her mind wander - wondering about the possibility of getting home, of seeing her sister again, and hell, even her brother. She’d never see team JNPR again, or any of the students back at Beacon.

Just as Weiss thought she might fall, she was suddenly pulled into a hug - her face being pushed into Luna’s mane. The princess wrapped two legs around Weiss, and held her just tight enough but not too much. Weiss’ breathing stopped for a moment, but slowly started again. She hesitantly raised a hand and wrapped it around Luna.

“I’m so sorry, Weiss.” Luna spoke softly. “I wish there was more we could do.” She let her words hang in the silence for a moment, before pulling away slowly. Weiss took in a shaky breath to steady herself and, lacking any proper response, simply nodded at the younger sister. She took in a steadier breath and focused on keeping herself calm. Freaking out now would do no good.

“Weiss,” Celestia began. “I recognize that you’re feeling a great deal of emotion right now. If you would like, I can send us back to Equestria, and let you process this information. Captain Flowers will be outside your room, ready to lend an ear, if you need it. Or you can have him call on Luna or I - I assure you that we will not hesitate to come to your aid if you need it.”

Weiss took in a breath and closed her eyes. Lacking words at the moment, she simply nodded. There was another flash of light, and Weiss felt herself floating.

* * *

The next day saw Weiss in her room, lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling.

She stared ahead, blinking ever so often, with one arm over her chest as it rose and fell with her breath. Her mind had been racing ever since the events of the day before. The revelation that she couldn’t go home was not unexpected, but she’d foolishly let herself get her hopes up. Now she was forced to come to terms with the fact that she’d be here, in this strange world, forever.

Captain Flowers had left last night, as he said he would. The Princesses didn’t seem to know, but Weiss figured that was nothing to fret over. She couldn’t expect them to know the whereabouts of every single guard. Weiss had no reason to suspect anything wrong. It was just her mind trying to find something to distract itself with.

So she gave it something - a new goal. Celestia and Luna had offered her a job, something about high level combat. And well, Weiss was certainly capable of more than the standard royal guard. If she was to accept the position....

Just then, the door to her room opened. Weiss sat up in her bed to see Princess Luna trot in, the door closing magically behind her. Weiss was going to greet the princess, but just then she saw the look on Luna’s face - a dark, serious expression. So Weiss instead said nothing and stood from the bed.

“Weiss,” Luna said. “We need your help.”

The heiress nodded and reached for Myrtenaster, which lay on the foot of her bed. “I figured. What’s going on?”

“There’s a situation in a town called Ponyville. A filly has gone missing, in a forest full of monsters that could tear through even our most trained soldiers. To make matters worse, we fear that the forest might also be harboring dangerous criminals - poachers, to be exact - who would not hesitate to harm her. My sister and I would like to have you help find her.”

Weiss took a second to process the information. It sounded serious - there were actually dangerous things in this cutesy cartoonish world - and she certainly would help. But... Ponyville? Didn’t Flowers say he was heading there, to sort out a “ruckus”?

Weiss didn’t hesitate. “I’ll help.”

And who knows - maybe she’d be able to find her team.

* * *

Most ponies were asleep at this hour, but she was not most ponies.

Her routine was the same every day - barring any monster attacks or world-ending scenarios, Celestia forbid. Day after day she worked to care for all the animals that passed through her home, and every night she made sure they were ready for tomorrow. Her nights consisted of making sure they all had food, water, and a nice place to sleep. It was definitely time consuming, but she didn’t mind.

It was Fluttershy’s passion, after all.

Fluttershy had just finished filling the chickens’ food for the night, and began to walk back to her cottage. Living on the edge of town gave her plenty of room for all of her animal friends and - if she was being honest - cut down on her interactions with other ponies. Sure, she’d grown a bit more confident in herself since Twilight moved to town, but animals were her strong-suit, not other ponies.

Humming a small tune to herself, Fluttershy stopped at the door to her house to take a look at the night sky. It was a beautiful night - not a cloud was to be seen, and the stars were clearly visible against the black of the night. Fluttershy smiled to herself and turned to go inside.

But just then, a thunderous boom sounded out. Fluttershy let out a scream and immediately dropped to the ground, covering her face with her hooves as she shook in fear... and the shockwave of whatever hit the ground. She could already hear the squawks of her birds and growls of other animals, as their sleep was so rudely disturbed.

Just as quickly as it came, the shockwaves stopped. Fluttershy whimpered to herself for a second before standing on shaky hooves. She cautiously looked around for anything out of the ordinary, but only saw the faces of her animal friends looking at her.

“Oh my...” She muttered quietly. “What in Equestria could have caused something like  _that?_ ”

* * *

The flames burned, and she screamed. She screamed as her skin melted away and her nerves could not register the pain. Eventually she stopped screaming. Then there was nothing.

Blake opened her eyes.

* * *

_**Arc Three: From Shadows** _

_**Begin** _


	19. From Shadows: Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake finds herself alive, and alone, in a hostile forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first three chapters of this arc were written by my editor and good friend, Soren Mercer. He wanted to leave y'all with a short note from him:
> 
> Soren’s Note:  
> "So, I’d like to just take a second here, and let you all know the parts of this arc I wrote, From Shadows, I wrote waaaaay back when I Burn was still halfway completed. That said, I don’t know if everything I wrote is going to make it into the final version, as you the reader may think that what I wrote is boring or unfitting of the story that Qrow’s put so much time into.
> 
> Additionally, I did not write the full arc, only a number of chapters which I’m sure Qrow will put mention that I wrote it to a point; I doubt that I’ll be finishing this arc myself as it is, given that I haven’t written anything in… quite some time… I’ll still be playing along as his Editor for the little changes he’ll be making in the following chapters, and for the chapters he’s going to write himself in the future."

**_Arc Three: From Shadows_ **

**_Part One_ **

She could still feel the burn, the licks of the flames as they scraped away at the remaining flesh on her body; her clothes having likely already burned away. She could feel them as they washed against her, fluid-like along with the scorching heat in her lungs as she fought for breath.

Blake had to admit something - this was _not_ what she thought burning alive would feel like. Sure, she _remembered_ the flames and she _remembered_ the searing pain before her nervous system shut down, but that’s all they were now; memories. Now, all she felt was the pain that eerily resembled the sensation of drowning.

Golden eyes flashed open. The eyes that should have been burned from her skull now adjusted to what appeared to be incredibly murky waters. Strange, since Blake didn’t remember the harbor’s waters to be so… green.

But all these thoughts could wait as Blake now fought to claw her way to the surface, her lungs screaming to give up for a second time in her adolescent youth. Her limbs ached as she fought against the water, and her heart hammered painfully in her chest as a reminder that, yes, she was alive, and if she wanted to keep it that way, she needed air.

Soon she broke the surface. Blake let out a loud gasp as she greedily chugged in precious air. Her lungs burned with every deep, desperate breath, and her limbs still protested every movement. Breathing heavily, she spotted where the water became land and began swimming over.

Where was she? This definitely was _not_ the Vale harbours she remembered raiding when she was with the White Fang. This wasn’t even the Mistral or Vacuo harbours, now that she thought hard about it. Was it possible she had been tossed into the sea, and whisked away by the currents to an otherwise uncharted island off the coasts? Probably. That was logical, right?

Pulling herself up onto the muddy beach head, her knees and fingers sinking into the cold earth beneath her, Blake began to work up as much water from her lungs as she possibly could; coughing and gasping for air now that there was such a commodity available. Her chest heaved and her entire body shook as more and more liquid was ejected from her lungs in painful bursts.

Soon the wet coughs became dry. Feeling as if her throat would tear apart, Blake coughed for a final time before flopping onto her back, staring up at the blue sky and the green canopy of leaves. She slowly raised an arm, holding her hand in front of her face, outstretched to the heavens. Her golden eyes studied the limb as if it would fade away.

“What in the world?” Blake muttered to herself, rubbing the mud from her limbs as she touched the smooth, silky if not dirty white skin in confusion. “Why do I still have… I… don’t understand…”

And it was at that moment she noticed something else: she was completely naked. A slight blush came upon her face as she pondered just how long she had been out, and who possibly had seen her in such a state.

Blake’s wonderings were instantly put on hold as from behind her in the bushes, a rustling caught her heightened hearing. The pair of cat ears on top of her head twitched at the noise. Blake scrambled to her feet and took off in a direction, leaving a clone of herself behind as a decoy as she sought coverings. The way she saw it, it was either a Grimm, or a person, and she really did not want to be seen like this right now.

Blake waited in the bushes as she did her best to silently weave together a bunch of fern leaves into makeshift clothing. Her time in the White Fang had taught her valuable survival skills, and luckily, with the plantlife strewn about, she could use it to tie it all into something resembling clothing. It would do, for now.

Suddenly, what looked like a Beowulf made strictly of random chunks of fallen tree branches stepped out into the clearing, sniffing around for what Blake guessed was it’s next meal, if a creature made out of wood could even eat. It’s eyes glowed a sickly green color that made the monster look even more threatening than it already did.

Yeah, Blake was definitely getting out of here until she could find some actual clothing. Blake turned tail and ran off into the brush before suddenly stopping - a thought occurred to her: where’s Gambol Shroud?

Looking back towards the pool she woke up in, which she now identified as a swamp, Blake’s keen eyes scanned the shores for her beloved weapon. She cursed under her breath when the sands turned up barren. She turned her gaze to the water, praying that her weapon would turn up. Her eyes widened when, against all odds, she actually spotted it.

Sticking just out of the water, the ribbon fixed to the end of the weapon fluttered in the wind like a flag just beckoning to her. It also seemed to have attracted the attention of the wooden creature and it’s now emerging friends, that looked exactly like the first one.

“Well, that’s just _fantastic._ ” Blake grumbled to herself, crouching down low in order to avoid being spotted. Okay, she needed to rush back into the water for her weapon. While also staying out of sight of those wood monsters. Which were all very curious about the flapping of the ribbon. No pressure, then.

Taking off at a sprint, the girl relied heavily on her semblance to create mostly unidentifiable shadow copies of her body as soon as she broke the treeline. Using the burst of speed to move forward faster, Blake dove and took a firm grasp of Gambol Shroud and rolled into another sprint; her shadows now with the added form of her prized possession.

Unfortunately for Blake, the wolves made of timber weren’t as clueless as she’d hoped and took off at a sprint in the same direction that her shadows had taken.

“Oh, that’s just perfect.” Blake whined as she glanced back momentarily to get an idea of how close her attackers were. Just as she did, three more wolves joined the alpha by means of a smoky fog gathering up materials to form the ravenous creature; it was a pack of them.

Blake’s training finally beat past the instinct to run and began to calm her down, reminding her that she was trained to take on bigger. With a bit of a smirk, Blake unsheathed her blade and skid to a halt for only a moment before taking off _towards_ the creatures and vaulted off a fallen log.

Flying through the air, Blake was quite glad that the creatures weren’t human or faunus given her state of reveal. She quickly landed on the back of the wolf and brought her blade down in one swipe, her sheath down in a second and continued alternating as she continued to sprint leap onto the second, then third. As soon as the fourth and final creature had collapsed into firewood, Blake shoulder rolled and sheathed her weapon once more in one fluid motion before coming up to view her handiwork.

“I suppose if anything good were to come out of this…” Blake muttered as she began picking through the pieces. “It’s that there’s plenty of relatively workable materials that I can cover up!”

An hour and a half of work later, Blake stood from her project now wearing mostly woven vines and leaves as a sort of base for wood plate armour covering almost her entire body. Looking up from the remainder of her enemies, all she knew was that she needed to find somewhere moderately safer than this hellhole of a pond.

Instead of taking off at a run, Blake instead to take a quieter approach and walked in a direction that wasn’t towards the swamp. Placing Gambol Shroud on her back now that she could actually do so, Blake focused all her senses on detecting potential dangers as well as potential food sources now that the day was growing long.

About an hour of walking later the faunus happened across a relatively passive looking clearing in the treeline. Of course, passive didn’t mean completely docile so Blake lowered herself into a crouch and neared the edge to survey the area.

Training her eyes and ears in all directions, all Blake could hear was the sound of running water to the right of her; though she would hazard a guess that it was still quite aways away. Still, a river meant water source if she found a way to purify it.

“Okay, so for a lack of man-eating animals, I think this is a decent spot to camp out in…” Blake announced to herself, standing up entirely once she was confident that she was alone. “I feel like Yang would make some kind of witty remark here…” Blake’s mood suddenly dipped at the reminder of her teammate.

Blake’s mind went back to the battle, and how she could do nothing but watch as her entire team had been murdered in front of her. Ruby, Yang, and Weiss had all fallen before the flames had consumed Blake. The people she loved the most, and she had failed to save them...

Just as a tear threatened to fall from her eye, Blake shook her head and wiped the tear away. “Tch, you can’t sit and cry when there are things to do, Blake! You can do that after you’ve built somewhere to sleep!” She yelled at herself. With a short nod, Blake took one step... and promptly fell to the ground, tears streaming down her face. The Faunus let out a strangled cry.

Ruby, Yang, Weiss... She hadn’t known them for long, but those three girls had helped her so much and saved her from herself. She had truly considered them family. And now they were gone, yet here, Blake was, alive and alone in a hostile place with no one. Blake cursed the world, cursed the people who had killed her friends, and cursed herself.

A few more minutes were spent on the ground crying. Eventually the tears dried up, and it took all Blake had to push herself to her feet. Her eyes were red and her throat burned, but she ignored it - she had work to do. Blake walked a few steps to a bunch of fallen branches and picked them up. They would do nicely.

“Alright, now let’s see if I can remember how all this works…” Blake muttered as she began tying branches to a pair of trees using vines as lashings after splitting them with her blade. Four failed attempts later and Blake sat beneath a mostly solid organic shelter, her back resting against one of the trees that made up her support.

“Fire. I need fire to keep warm tonight…” The girl whispered to herself. Pulling a moderately respectable sized log from her pile, Blake began the task of fashioning a fire bow out of a stick and a strand of vine lashing to _hopefully_ create the spark of light she’d need.

Ten minutes of continuous sawing and she soon had embers. Desperate but deliberate fanning of the flames had a small fire dancing on the log before her. As the smoke rose up and began to pour out of the weaknesses in her shelter, Blake couldn’t stop the return of the putrid scent of her flesh melting and bubbling.

With a small squeal of protest, the log was kicked out from under the tent and the fire put out as it rolled a couple feet away.

“Dammit, dammit!” Blake cried into her pulled up knees again. She recovered once more and crawled out to retrieve the log and start over again; keeping the fire out of the shelter this time.

The starting of the fire took only a couple of attempts this time, since there were still existing sparks hiding where they couldn’t have been put out during the roll and soon Blake sat at a crackling fire; just trying to tune out the crackling of her skin from her mind.

Pulling her black hair forward over her shoulders, Blake absently combed her fingers through the fibers as she turned her mind to what her next task should be. Her answer came in the form of a rather loud grumbling originating from her own body.

Food! She still needed to find food. Blake sighed and stood, donning the wooden plates she’d previously taken off. Strapping her weapon to her back once again, Blake took off at a jog towards the direction she hoped the river was in with the intention of either catching fish if they were there or, heavens forbid, another animal hoping for a drink of water.

* * *

 

Blake stood on the shores of a surprisingly wide running river, thankfully without any other creatures around. Examining the edges of the water, Blake hoped to whatever deity was watching over her that there was signs of moss or lichen on the rocks.

Following the bank, Blake came across her own little personal piece of heaven as she nearly dropped into what looked like a tiny pool of not only clean water judging by the moss surrounding the pool, but also the _fish!_ Blake stared hungrily at the creatures swimming around in lazy circles, her mouth hanging open with a small strand of saliva threatening to escape.

Blake drew her sword and held it ready for a strike. The blade came down, pierced the white waters and continued down into the body. A cloud of red erupted and Weiss fell, impaled on her own rapier. Blake gasped and backpedaled, bringing her weapon with her with the fish still struggling to somehow rejoin its friend.

Soon the fish, and Weiss in Blake’s mind remained still. The image of her friend’s final moments replayed over and over in her mind - Weiss struggling in vain with her own weapon protruding from her chest, blood pouring from the wound and staining her white dress...

Blake shook her head and took in a deep breath. There would be time for that later. Right now, she needed to survive. She made to turn back to her camp, but stopped halfway and took one last look at the river. She gazed into the running water for a long moment before turning and running back.

Having safely returned to her camp, Blake made use of the best, straightest stick she could find to use as a cooking skewer before setting her meal to cook and let her mind go blissfully blank as she sat in her lean-to to watch and listen to nothing in particular.

“What in the world...?” Blake mumbled to no one in particular, not that she had much choice. “How am I still alive?” Blake’s mind insisted on reviewing the footage it had chemically recorded in her brain, zooming in and enhancing the malicious grin on the woman’s face as her flames consumed Blake’s body. “Is it possible the others are alive too...?”

Blake remembered Ruby’s final moments - how she had rushed head-first towards Roman Torchwick and had been met with an explosion that had left nothing behind. Blake supposed that it could have been possible that Ruby had simply escaped behind the cover of smoke, but her leader had never been one to run away.

Blake recalled Yang’s anguished scream at seeing her sister’s gruesome demise. Then the blonde had been challenged by the tiny mute girl - a fight that had left Yang broken, beaten, and bleeding out. She and Weiss had looked on in horror, unable to help, as Emerald and Mercury had shown up and...

The image of Mercury standing over Weiss’ corpse flashed through Blake’s mind. Then she remembered plunging Gambol Shroud through his lung and watching the life leave his eyes. Blake decided to think of something else.

Any way Blake looked at it, there was no escaping a blade running through your throat or your chest. And there was no way to escape an explosion occurring directly on a person’s body nor escape fatal flames as they stripped you of everything.

But that wasn’t entirely true, was it? After all, she was still here. But for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out _how_. She was alive... And her friends had died, she was sure of it. She had no proof of the contrary. And she refused to let herself hope for the impossible.

A snap of the fire dragged the young woman back to her sorrowful reality and to the task of cooking dinner. Crawling out from under her protection to check the fish, Blake figured she was cat-like enough to be able to stomach a partially cooked fish than wait any longer for a fully cooked one.

The first bite of food had Blake nearly cough up and toss the remains; it was that bitter. “Oh, man. Could use some tartar sauce, and I don’t even _like_ tartar sauce!” Blake complained as she bravely bit off another mouthful and chewed. Mid-chew, Blake had a sudden thought: she didn’t know if this fish was even safe to eat. Imagine that - she’d survived being burned alive, only to succumb to poison by fish. Even in her mostly depressed state of mind, she found herself chuckling at this thought as she rather quickly finished the remainder of dinner and tossed the bones into the fire.

Lying back on a mat of woven leaves, Blake stared up towards the evening sky in silence. Something she hadn’t done since enrolling at Beacon.

Golden eyes went from star to star, the lights twinkling faintly in the night sky. Odd, she couldn’t recognize any of the formations. “Well,” Blake said to herself. “I guess I have nothing better to do.” And with that, she began finding different clusters of stars and assigning names.

* * *

 

**_Arc Three: From Shadows_ **

**_Part One End_ **

 


End file.
